An innovative multi-agency “substance misuse” court in Belfast Magistrates Court aims to treat the symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse rather than just punishing the offender by imposing a prison sentence. The Substance Misuse Court, a pilot scheme in Northern Ireland, involves Addiction NI, the Probation Board of Northern Ireland and mental health agencies and…
It is a priority to make sure that young persons in police custody are properly represented by experienced lawyers. Persons under the age of 18 in Northern Ireland are treated as a vulnerable group of persons when in police custody after arrest. They are entitled to both the presence of an Appropriate Adult and the…
Paula Collins, Partner, provides expert legal help in respect of complex and high value divorces and financial settlements. Paula has considerable experience in representing clients before the Ancillary Relief (matrimonial finances) Court and advising clients on the division of matrimonial assets. Ancillary Relief is the distribution between parties of family assets ensuing an equitable split…
Medical & Clinical Negligence If you, your family or a friend need to make a claim for medical or clinical negligence you will need an experienced and specialist lawyer to help you succeed. Nichola Harte, Partner and her team in the firm, offer expertise in handling medical/clinical negligence cases involving sub-standard healthcare. She provides expert…
Unhappy marriage not grounds for divorce, supreme court rules Tini Owens, who wants to divorce Hugh Owens after 40 years of marriage, loses case Damien Gayle @damiengayle Wed 25 Jul 2018 19.11 BSTFirst published on Wed 25 Jul 2018 11.06 Tini Owens will only be able to divorce her husband in 2020, when they will have been separated…
Our experienced Solicitor and Advocate, Chris McCann, has represented a number of sentenced prisoners recalled on Northern Irish Licences for new offences committed outside the Jurisdiction in England & Wales. In those circumstances a hearing before the Northern Irish Parole Commissioners will take place in whatever jurisdiction the prisoner client is held. Funding by the…
Harte Coyle Collins congratulates 2 worthy winners of the firm’s PACE prize awarded at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Queen’s University Belfast last week. The winners, Sarah Mulholland (2017) and Grainne McAnaney (2018) received the awards from the firm for their excellence in relation to the law and procedures applicable to suspects in custody…
A secret MI5 report that resulted in Northern Ireland’s police covertly prioritising intelligence-gathering over fighting crime has been made public after almost 40 years. The report resulted in detectives of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) – now the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) – being ordered never to arrest a suspected terrorist without consulting…
‘’Have they done this before?’’ Clare’s Law was first introduced in England and Wales in 2014 and Scotland in 2016, and a similar initiative has now been established in Northern Ireland in 2018. Named after Clare Wood who was murdered by her violent partner in 2009, the Department of Justice have launched the ‘Domestic Violence…
Expert Mental Health Tribunal lawyer, Chris McCann, successfully represented and achieved the discharge of a detained patient at a Mental Health Review Tribunal in June 2018. The patient was discharged from their detention under the Mental Health Order despite objections by the Trust and Social Services. Patients in such cases are more often than…
