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In the final episode of Legally Fond, Gavin speaks to Frank Buttimer, the solicitor of Ian Bailey. Ian was a suspect in the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier. The French government tried to extradite him three times to France, the country Ms Toscan Du Plantier was from. However, the Irish courts prevented this three times. In 2019, Ian was found guilty of her murder in a court in Paris despite having never been present at the trial.

In this week’s episode the team explain and discuss the functions of tribunals. How do they differ from regular courts of law? What protection is afforded to those who are the subjects of a tribunal’s inquiry? Pierce, Gavin, and Alex share their thoughts on these questions and more by looking at one of the longest running and most expensive legal exercises in the history of the State: The Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, more commonly known as ‘The Mahon Tribuna...

In this week’s episode, Gavin, Pierce and Alex discuss the UK Supreme Court judgment in Lee v Ashers Baking Company. This case, known colloquially as the 'gay cake case' concerned alleged discrimination over a refusal to print a pro-gay marriage message on a cake. To what end can a business refuse to cater to a customer and on what grounds? Does free speech extend to a freedom to refuse to say something? Are such entitlements applicable to a business? Are beloved puppets Bert and Ernie ...

"We didn't change the law, we didn't make the law. All we did was assert the law." In this week's episode of Legally Fond, you'll hear an interview with former Uber driver James Farrar who was one of the lead claimants in the recent Supreme Court case which established that Uber drivers are workers under English Law. This judgment means, among other things, that Uber drivers are entitled to be paid the national minimum wage. Irishman Farrar discusses how he came to take this case, his thought...

This week on Legally Fond, Pierce, Gavin and Alex tackle the topic of impartial political coverage by RTE by examining the case of Coughlan v Broad Complaints Commission. The case concerns the state broadcaster’s engagement with the issues of the 1995 Divorce referendum. The team explain what uncontested party-political broadcasts are and why they may be controversial. How important is it for RTE to afford equal airtime to both sides of the debate in a national referendum? What are the conseq...

We discuss the case of a man who left his car unattended on Dublin's Talbot Street with the engine running. The car was subsequently stolen and collided with a pedestrian. The injured pedestrian sued the owner of the car for his negligence in leaving the car open and running on a busy city street. But was it foreseeable that the car thief would drive so carelessly as to hit a pedestrian?

In this week’s episode of Legally Fond the team look at a case concerning a High Court decision to allow a blood transfusion to be administered to a woman who had previously refused it on religious grounds. Gavin, Pierce and Alex pick apart constitutional concerns, questions regarding capacity and examine the delicate exercise of rights balancing that the courts must master. How far does someone’s right to religious expression extend? Is it ever okay for clinicians to disregard the express wi...

We discuss the European Commission decision on Google's comparison shopping service. How will this affect the big tech firms and is breaking them up in order to open the market the correct approach?

In this week’s episode of Legally Fond, the team discuss the recent High Court challenge to the Leaving Certificate system of calculated grades by Belvedere student Freddie Sherry. Pierce, Gavin and Alex discuss Mr Justice Meenan’s decision in the case and what ramifications it will have for some sixty other similar challenges already lodged to the courts. What is the significance of school historical data and why did the Department of Education revise its policy on the matter? Was Norma Fole...

In this week’s episode of Legally Fond, the team discuss Rockall – a small, uninhabited islet in the north Atlantic but the subject of much dispute and disagreement. Pierce, Gavin, and Alex explain the legal confusion surrounding the rightful ownership of Rockall, touching on international Maritime Law and the positions of the EU and UN on the matter. Does Rockall belong to Iceland, Ireland, Denmark, or the United Kingdom? Which nations can harvest its fish-rich waters? How does Rockall fit i...

In the flagship episode of season three, we discuss the seminal Supreme Court decision in the recent environmental case ‘Friends of the Irish Environment v Government of Ireland’. We explain why the government’s climate action plan was struck down and explore what this means for Ireland’s fight against climate change. With the coalition government facing ever increasing pressure to tackle climate change in Ireland, how does this judgment affect Ireland’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2050?

In March 2019, Sunday Times Journalist Mark Tighe returned to his desk and found two documents waiting for him. One was a photocopy of a cheque made out to the FAI by its then Chief Executive John Delaney for €100,000. The other was a confirmation from the FAI that John Delaney had been repaid €100,000. What was this about, thought Mark. Why was an organisation which received €50 million in taxpayers' funding over the past decade in need of a loan from its Chief Executive? This was the cataly...

Legally Fond is returning for a third season, starting on Wednesday 24th February.You’ll hear about how one of the biggest names in Irish football took on The Sunday Times in court to stop it publishing a story about him only hours before the paper was set to be printed.And we’re teaming up with Trinity College Students’ Union for Green Week and we’ll tell you the story of the a group of climate activists who stopped the government’s climate action plan.We cannot wait for you to join us for S...

Earlier this year, the General Court of the European Union found against the European Commission in the so-called 'Apple tax case'. This meant that the Commission was unable to prove to the required standard that the Irish government had given Apple illegal state aid in order to reduce its tax bill. The result is that Ireland is not entitled to the €13 billion which the Commission decided it should receive from Apple. How did this case come about? We discuss in the Season Two finale of Legall...

Although many consider the Irish Presidency a largely ceremonial role, one significant constitutional power which the President has is the right to refer bills to the Supreme Court to check their constitutionality before they are made law. One such case considered whether a law requiring property developers to sell up to 20% of their new houses to the state for use as social housing. We discussed the merits of this case and the pitfalls of letting the President get involved.This episode is br...

It is an oddity of Irish politics that in 2001, when nearly 53% of voters opted to reject the EU's Nice Treaty, the Irish Government tried a 'second time lucky' approach, holding a second referendum on the same question. It passed, with 62% in favour. The same series of events occurred with the Lisbon Treaty later in the decade. Why is it that Ireland was the only member state of the EU which had to vote by referendum on the Nice and Lisbon Treaties? We discuss the case which led to this cons...

A week on from Chief Justice Frank Clarke's publication of his correspondence with Seamus Woulfe, we discuss what has happened since and what might happen next. Also, could this saga lead to the reform of judicial appointments?This episode is brought to you in association with LawSchool.ie. LawSchool.ie is Ireland’s leading provider of tuition for the FE1 or King’s Inns Entrance exams. Each course is delivered live online with a specific exam focus and supported by the latest manuals. Shorter...

Artificial intelligence is revolutionising how we do business. With its countless opportunities, it also presents risks. To what extent will we be delegating our decision making to computers and robots? Do we trust them to make accurate decisions? And who will be responsible if AI discriminates or makes an unfair decision? Paul MacDonnell from the Global Digital Foundation discusses a recent paper he published on the regulation of artificial intelligence.This episode is brought to you in asso...

The controversy trundles on over the attendance of Supreme Court Justice Seamus Woulfe's attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in August. Last Sunday, the Chief Justice Frank Clarke sent a letter to Woulfe, who has not yet sat on the court, asking him to resign. We chronicle the events which led up to this moment and ponder the uncertain political and legal horizon.This episode is brought to you in association with LawSchool.ie. LawSchool.ie is Ireland’s leading provider of tuition...