Supreme Court

Bridie Brown, the widow of murdered GAA official Sean Brown. No-one has ever been convicted of his murder. Issue date: Tuesday December 17, 2024.

Brown family has no ‘faith or trust’ in ICRIR

Brown, 61, the chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA Club in Co Londonderry, was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997.

Supreme Court to hear Government appeal in Sean Brown public inquiry case

Key part of Windsor Framework ‘undermines sovereignty’ committee hears

The Supreme Court - in a November 2025 ruling on a case known as JR87 - framed the current RE syllabus as amounting to indoctrination

Ian Ellis: New era in RE would demand new steps from churches

Churches were instrumental in drawing up the current RE syllabus

Ian Ellis: Churches should keep close watch on new RE syllabus

In November 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the exclusively Christian religious education (RE) and collective worship in Northern Ireland's state-controlled schools were discriminatory and breached human rights

Philip Barnes: Proposed new primary RE syllabus raises many questions

Morning View

Editorial: Time for Sinn Fein to stand up to trans activists

Northern Ireland's justice minister Naomi Long.

Police must try to find female officers willing to search males

Morning View

Editorial: Civil service head belatedly pulls out of Pride

Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Jayne Brady, pictured here at Belfast Pride in 2023.

Civil servants told not to participate in Pride parades in 'official capacity'

A trans rights protest.

Legal action over landmark biological sex ruling in NI to be heard in December

Mary-Ann Stephenson, who chairs the Equality and Human Rights Commission, in an interview with the Press Association in central London, following the long-awaited updated guidance published by the government on single-sex spaces. She said hoped people would read the code with an "open mind".Picture date: Thursday May 21, 2026.

New guidance to limit trans participation in sport

ECNI chief Geraldine McGahey (left) and her NIHRC counterpart Alyson Kilpatrick

Owen Polley: Activist quangos have debased human rights and equality

Transgender campaigners waving trans movement flags. A ban on promoting transgenderism and homosexuality to under-18s in Hungary was recently ruled illegal by the CJEU (photo: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

EU intervening Hungary-style on trans matters 'now less likely'

First Minister Michelle O'Neill speaks to the media at the Balmoral agricultural show at Balmoral Park

ICRIR failed and discredited, says Michelle O’Neill

In November 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the exclusively Christian religious education (RE) and collective worship in Northern Ireland's state-controlled schools were discriminatory and breached human rights

David Armstrong: RE ruling to hit Protestant teaching more than Catholic
In November 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that Northern Ireland’s Christian-focused religious education (RE) syllabus was unlawful - a decision likely to have greater impact in the controlled schools attended by the Protestant community than in Catholic schools.
David Armstrong

ECNI chief Geraldine McGahey and NIHRC boss Alyson Kilpatrick have faced calls to quit after a UK Supreme Court judgement on their interpretation of the Windsor Framework. Pic: NI Human Rights Commission / YouTube

Equality quango chiefs lose confidence of unionist parties at Stormont

The UK’s highest court – the Supreme Court – in effect slapped down Northern Ireland’s highest court, the court of appeal, on how the past should be investigated. It was a very belated outcome

Ben Lowry: Supreme court setback for NI legal system's role in legacy scandal

Susan Smith (left) and Marion Calder (right) co-directors of For Women Scotland outside the Supreme Court in London. Photo: Lucy North/PA Wire

Clear guidance needed now on Supreme Court sex ruling - DUP leader

Morning View

Editorial: For once, the NI courts are slapped down by Supreme Court on legacy

The UK Supreme Court in London has handed down a landmark ruling on legacy laws. Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

Unionists welcome landmark ruling - but round on 'activist' equality bodies

DUP leader Gavin Robinson.

Unionist leaders welcome Supreme Court ruling on EU law remit

NIHRC boss Alyson Kilpatrick and ECNI chief Geraldine McGahey OBE have been urged to consider their positions. Pic: NI Assembly / ECNI

MP calls for NI equality chiefs to consider positions after Supreme Court ruling

The UK Supreme Court in London has clarified the extent to which EU law applies to NI under the Windsor Framework. Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

UK Supreme Court ruling 'restrains' scope of EU law in NI

Parts of a law that ended police investigations and inquests related to the Troubles did not lead to victims’ rights being diminished, the Supreme Court has ruled

Troubles legacy law did not diminish victims’ rights, Supreme Court rules

Primary school teacher Javed Love has used a conscience clause to opt out of teaching pupils RE

Letter: Education ruling poses challenges for curriculum

President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Friday

Trump says he will impose new 10% ‘global tariff’ after Supreme Court ruling
US President Donald Trump has said he will impose a 10% global tariff “over and above our normal tariffs already being charged”, after the Supreme Court struck down his reciprocal levies policy.
Helen Corbett, PA

Stormont’s Education Minister has appealed for teachers to help develop a new religious education curriculum.

Paul Givan urges teachers to help draft new religious education syllabus

Church of Ireland Bishop Andrew Forster welcomes the Supreme Court’s recognition that Christianity remains the primary faith taught in schools

Charter launch for church role in NI state schools

Education minister Paul Givan faces an immense challenge following the Supreme Court ruling (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)

David Armstrong and Dr Philip Barnes: RE syllabus shake-up will require care

The Education Minister Paul Givan has responded to a landmark Supreme Court judgement on religion in schools by saying he has no plans to change school worship - and that Christianity will continue to provide "the core focus for RE in Northern Ireland". Photo: PA

Givan launches RE review – but focus remains on Christianity

The reopening of inquests, civil and criminal cases will pull aging veterans back into court (Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye)

Alex Burghart: If need be, we’ll scrap Labour legacy plan

ECNI chief Geraldine McGahey has said she is "impatient for change" on implementing equality provisions in the Windsor Framework.

Stormont committee postpones Equality Commission grilling

Kilroot Power Station recently needed temporary exemptions to continue to supply power, due to Stormont's climate targets. Photo Press Eye

Unionist leaders hit out at rivals on climate and gender policies

The High Court in Belfast. Numerous Northern Ireland judges, as well as the PSNI chief constable, were contradicted by this week’s Supreme Court ruling, which upheld the right of the government to protect informers

Ben Lowry: For once, the NI courts have been utterly overturned on legacy

The Supreme Court ruled that decisions about releasing sensitive security files are a matter for the government. Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

'Deeply troubling attempt to shift blame' for Troubles murders - DUP

Morning View

Editorial: A humiliating defeat for the Northern Ireland courts on legacy

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Secretary of State - not the PSNI Chief Jon Boutcher - is best able to assess the risk to national security from intelligence disclosures. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

National security assessments 'a matter for NI Secretary - not PSNI Chief'

TUV MP Jim Allister says that both the Northern Ireland courts and the PSNI Chief Constable were "simply wrong" on the disclosure of sensitive intelligence information relating to a Troubles inquest. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Chief Constable and NI courts were 'simply wrong' on legacy case - MP

Alfredo "Freddie" Scappaticci pictured at the 1987 funeral of IRA man Larry Marley.

Government to ‘consider’ ruling in response to calls to name Stakeknife

Transgender women will be banned from becoming members of the Women's Institute from April next year.

Transgender women banned from joining WI

The Supreme Court recently ruled that a Christian-focused religious education syllabus was unlawful

Ian Ellis: Communicating religious faith to children isn’t indoctrination

Paul Givan has said future guidance will “both respect the law and safeguard the role of religion in education”. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Givan lays down the law amid demands to halt religious assemblies

The Bible also states plainly that it is wrong to treat the worship of the true God as simply one among several religious “offerings”

Letter: Naïve evangelical response to court ruling missed the key point

The gospel is not a pluralistic matter. It is not one option among many

Letter: If Christians minimise ruling on religion it looks like capitulation

It is already a legal requirement that religious education in controlled schools is based upon the Holy Scriptures. Writing in today's News Letter in the wake of this week's Supreme Court ruling, education minister Paul Givan says he will not allow those who wish to drive out the Christian ethos from our schools to succeed

Paul Givan: Christian faith will continue to shape education in Northern Ireland

Morning View

Editorial: Fears for the Christian ethos of NI after Supreme Court ruling

The highest court in the has delivered its judgement on whether Christian based school assemblies in Northern Ireland breach the human rights of children who do not hold such beliefs.

Supreme Court rules against Christian worship and RE in schools

Morning View

Editorial: Parliamentary sovereignty must be restored

Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner for the Equality Commission, has previously said she is "impatient for change" on the implementation of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework.

Women's rights group rejects equality body legal action on definition of a woman

Susan Smith (left) and Marion Calder, co-directors of For Women Scotland, celebrate outside the Supreme Court after a landmark legal victory over the Scottish government. Photo: Lucy North/PA Wire

Windsor Framework 'makes no difference' to Supreme Court ruling - FWS

Helen Joyce (left) and Maya Forstater of Sex Matters outside the Supreme Court in London after a landmark ruling in April. Photo: Lucy North/PA Wire

ECNI legal case diminishing women's rights under Windsor Framework - Forstater

Parliament is sovereign we were told when unionist rights were at risk, such was when Ben Habib and others said that the Windsor Framework was in conflict with the Acts of Union

Letter: Parliament can do what it wants if unionist rights at risk

Group of international school students in school uniforms, sit on steps.

Education Minister urged to reveal legal advice on removing transgender guidance

Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner at the Equality Commission says terms like 'men' and 'women' may have a different meaning in NI than GB.

Department of Education slams Equality Commission's 'improper' legal action

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