I was recently involved in an employment case which we brought to the Workplace Relations Commission on behalf of a client. It was a claim for unfair dismissal, and it was clear that the case would be determined by one fact: did the employer terminate the employment or did the employee resign? It was equally… Continue reading Identifying the net issue
Category: Law
Elon Musk, Enoch Burke and freedom of speech
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has prompted a look at his views on freedom of speech. He been described in the media as a “freedom of speech absolutist”. I am not sure what this means but presume he views the right to freedom of speech as one that is absolute-that is, without boundaries. Trump, of… Continue reading Elon Musk, Enoch Burke and freedom of speech
Misconceived decisions to bring employment claims
I am often asked to bring employment cases on behalf of individuals which appear misconceived and will not provide a positive return for the wronged employee. Even if the employee wins the case the cost of bringing it, unless the employee represents himself, will exceed the potential compensation that can be awarded. For example, an… Continue reading Misconceived decisions to bring employment claims
Undue influence in will making for the elderly/vulnerable
Making a will with a person is usually a straightforward matter. The two questions I need answers to at the outset, to allow me put a framework or structure on a will for the client, are: Who gets what and Who will act as your executor In the case of spouses it is commonly the… Continue reading Undue influence in will making for the elderly/vulnerable
What the Mayo footballers can learn from the Burkes from Castlebar
Imagine telling a decision maker, upon whose decision you rely, that he is a “disgrace” and “corrupt” and “not fit to sit in that chair” and expecting to get a favourable decision. It is hardly going to happen, now, is it? Such was the case yesterday in the High Court when Mr Justice John Edwards… Continue reading What the Mayo footballers can learn from the Burkes from Castlebar
The Majesty of the Law-part 2
I wrote yesterday about the majesty of the law as I saw it unfold in Ireland in the case of Jake Merriman’s convictions arising from an anti-lockdown protest in Grafton Street in February 2021. This morning I see online that new evidence in respect of Donald Trump’s criminal efforts to thwart the Department of Justice… Continue reading The Majesty of the Law-part 2
Recognising the Majesty of the Law
A man was jailed yesterday by the Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin for his activities in an anti-lockdown protest in February 2021. He was convicted of endangerment of Gardai at the protest. You may have seen the footage on television or on social media of a protest at which a man threw a firework at… Continue reading Recognising the Majesty of the Law
Naivety when buying property can lead to a disastrous purchase
Naivety. This is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, things that first time buyers of property need to guard against. You may also fall victim if you are buying in Ireland from abroad. Some of us appear to be born with an inbuilt scepticism and aversion to trusting things as they are claimed… Continue reading Naivety when buying property can lead to a disastrous purchase
Strange feelings doing the house call yesterday
I went to do a house call with an elderly man yesterday. It was a strange feeling. Let me tell you why. This man used to buy Major cigarettes from me some 20 years ago when I was in retailing and running the filling station in Enfield. He lived and worked close by and was… Continue reading Strange feelings doing the house call yesterday
The power of habit, organisation, standard operating procedures and obsessive compulsive disorder
One of the girls in the office-Josephine-suggested not too long ago that I had obsessive compulsive disorder. She said it half-jokingly but like most ‘half joking’ remarks there was probably a grain of truth in the observation. My daughter, Lisa, is a primary school teacher and we have often discussed autism and ‘being on the… Continue reading The power of habit, organisation, standard operating procedures and obsessive compulsive disorder