Tughans Solicitors

Data protection litigation trends: why these claims are changing and what it means for businesses in Northern Ireland

Data protection disputes in Northern Ireland, and indeed throughout the UK, are increasingly becoming the subject of civil litigation. This is being driven by three connected shifts: the tactical use of subject access requests (SARs) to obtain early information; the steady normalisation of damages claims under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018... Read More

AI in employment disputes: AI generated witness statements

AI is increasingly finding its way into employment litigation, but recent Northern Ireland tribunal decisions stress that its value, and its risks, lie in how it is applied. In employment tribunal cases, witnesses usually provide a written witness statement instead of giving evidence orally. Each witness adopts their statement as their evidence to the tribunal... Read More

Gridlocked: Grid connections and environmental impact assessment

The Inner House of the Scottish Court of Session has delivered judgment in Raeshaw Farms Limited v Scottish Ministers CSIH 10, creating ripples in the energy sector. The Court has quashed the grant of planning permission for a wind farm, holding that the construction of the wind farm and its connection to the electricity... Read More

Interim payments in clinical negligence: High court reinforces cautious approach

The High Court’s recent decision in Sarah Stewart v Northern Health and Social Care Trust provides a timely illustration of the careful scrutiny the courts apply to applications for for substantial interim payments in clinical negligence litigation. The Court’s task remains anchored in a conservative assessment of what is likely to be recovered at trial,... Read More

Northern Ireland’s Nature Recovery Strategy: The future of biodiversity net gain and the biodiversity duty

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)‘s consultation on its draft Nature Recovery Strategy for Northern Ireland marks a significant moment for environmental policy. Stretching to 2032, the Strategy sets out how Northern Ireland intends to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.   Strategic objectives Under the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act (Northern Ireland)... Read More

The UK’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing landscape – where next for legal and accountancy firms?

The recently published HM Treasury Supervision Report (2024–25) offers an interesting insight and sets out a new direction for the UK’s anti-money laundering (“AML”) and counter-terrorist financing (“CTF”) landscape.   The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) is poised to become the single AML/CTF supervisor for professional services, replacing the current system of Professional Body Supervisors (“PBSs“)... Read More

The High Court reinforces timelines in civil litigation

Homes of Heritage Ltd v Cunningham & Ors IEHC 724 In a significant procedural ruling applying the Supreme Court’s reformulation of the law on delay in civil litigation in Ireland, the High Court has dismissed a long-running claim for want of prosecution in Homes of Heritage Ltd v Cunningham & Ors. The decision highlights... Read More

Employment Rights Act 2026: Key changes to look out for

The Employment Rights Act (ERA) received Royal Assent and became law on 18 December 2025, introducing a broad range of changes to existing employment laws in UK which will come into force over the next two years. A summary of the key changes and their impact on employers is outlined here.   What’s changing? The ERA... Read More

Data Protection and AI expectations for 2026

On 19 December 2025, the European Commission formally renewed its Adequacy Decisions (made in the wake of Brexit, in 2021) in respect of the UK’s data protection laws.   The renewal of these Decisions means, in real terms, that controllers and processors of personal data can continue to send such data between the European Economic... Read More

Transition impossible? The role of transition finance on the road to net zero

The Loan Market Association (LMA) , along with its partners at the Loan Syndications and Trading Association Inc (LSTA) and the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA), published its “Guide to Transition Loans” in October 2025. The Guide seeks to provide much-needed clarity and a practical framework for scaling up transition finance.   With the global economy on a... Read More