A round-up of other legal stories in brief...
Institute of International and European Affairs to host talk on climate change by Shell advisor
The Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) is hosting a talk by David Hone, Shell Group climate change advisor, on Thursday, October 23rd, at 12.45pm.
The talk will take place at its office on 8 North Great George's Street, Dublin 1.
Following the publication of the IIEA's new report, The Climate Change Challenge, and its findings that the consequences of unmitigated growth of Irish CO2 emissions would be negative for the economy and industry, the institute wishes to deepen the discussion with an in-depth look at possible futures for Ireland, according to its director general Jill Donoghue.
Mr Hone will present Shell's strategic energy scenarios up to 2050, Scramble and Blueprints, in the context of Ireland, and will discuss policy options. Mr Hone is chairman of the International Emissions Trading Association and author of several World Business Council for Sustainable Development publications.
Book assesses impact of article 40.3.3
Last Tuesday, October 7th, was the 25th anniversary of the insertion of article 40.3.3, guaranteeing the right to life of the unborn, into the Constitution. To mark the event, Jennifer Schweppe, lecturer in law at the University of Limerick, has edited a collection of essays assessing its impact. The Unborn Child, Article 40.3.3 and Abortion in Ireland: Twenty-five years of Protection?is published by the Liffey Press.
No other provision of the Constitution has provided as much controversy or had as big an impact as article 40.3.3, and the contributors to this volume offer insights from a multiplicity of fields, including medicine, politics, philosophy, sociology and law, according to Ms Schweppe.
Recurring themes include the problems faced by the medical profession when dealing with pregnant women wishing to terminate their pregnancy, whether suicidal or not; the relevance of international principles in relation to reproductive rights in an Irish context; and the problems caused by the paucity of legislation in the area.
Speaking at the publication of the book, Ms Schweppe said the book arose out of a conference on the subject at the University of Limerick last March, which discussed the impact the provision has had on Irish society, law, politics and the healthcare system.
She said it was "simply inexcusable" that, 25 years after the constitutional amendment, 16 years after the X case and 11 years since the C case, there was still no legislation in place, and we "rely on an act from 1861 to govern the law on termination of pregnancies in this State".
Corporate restructuring conference
Legal publishers Round Hall Thomson Reuters and Beauchamps Solicitors are hosting a conference on the legal and financial implications of corporate restructuring on Tuesday, October 21st, at the Westbury Hotel in Dublin. Chaired by Beauchamps managing partner Shaun O'Shea, the conference will hear from Lyndon McCann, Kieran Wallace of KPMG, Gabriel Daly of Beauchamps and Gerry O'Carroll of Watson Wyatt.
Goodbody launches law website
A&L Goodbody has launched ExtraLaw, a website and information service that provides in-house lawyers and other clients with information on the latest legal developments within a range of areas including banking and financial services, company and corporate law, and employment law. According to Paula Reid, A&L Goodbody director of knowledge development, it includes FAQs, legal updates, briefing notes and checklists.
William Fry announces new partners
William Fry has announced the appointment of eight new partners and nine new associates. The new partners are Ivor Banim, Brian Duffy, Fergus Doorly, Jarleth Heneghan, Shane Kelleher, Andrew McIntrye, Rachel Stanton and Adam Synnot.
The associates are Jenny Ahern, Darragh Blake, Cassandra Byrne, Tara Farrell, Rachel Spencer, Siobhán McCabe, Caitríona McCrohan, Michelle McGrath and Laura Murdock.
Succession Rights explained
A new book on succession and retirement planning, aimed at the general reader and written by solicitors John Murphy and Jason Dunne , has been published by Liberties Press.
Inheritance & Succession: The Complete Irish Guidelooks at issues like creating a life plan, investment, wealth management, how to plan succession for business, farming or as an individual, so that life is easier for older citizens.
It also outlines how to make a will that leaves minimum tax burdens and most benefits, how to create an enduring power of attorney, how to use a trust to provide for disabled children or dependents, how to plan your funeral, how to distribute your estate as the law requires and how to deal with other issues that can cause worry.
The law, tax and finance issues are made accessible to the lay reader in plain English. The book also contains a comprehensive Personal Affairs and Possessions List that can be filled in by the reader as part of planning for the future.
Treoir guide aimed at lone parents
The third edition of Family Links: Steps and Stages, a Treoir publication containing suggestions for lone parents who are helping their children to understand their family situation, will be launched by Family Support Agency chief executive Pat Bennett at the Treoir national information centre, 14 Gandon House, Custom House Square, IFSC, Dublin 1, on Monday, October 20th.
Treoir is the national federation of services for unmarried parents and their children.