Here is a selection of people starting new roles with companies in Ireland, including law firm Philip Lee, IT firm Paradyn, media sales house IRS+, PR firm FH, digital state agency OpenSky, the Law Reform Commission and marketing group Core Sponsorship.

The Law Reform Commission is also examining whether a new statutory body should be established to exercise these and other powers, or if they should be vested in existing agencies.

Last August the Department of An Taoiseach published the national risk assessment 2019 to map looming change and prepare strategies to manage that successfully. Our ageing population was recognised as a major issue.

If laws cannot be introduced to cap injury awards, the Government will hold a referendum to bring about the change, the minister in charge of insurance reform has warned.

Imposing a cap on personal damages payable in compensation cases could be subject to constitutional challenges, the Law Reform Commission has warned.

The court poor box into which defendants in Kerry could pay money to avoid convictions has been scrapped.

A judge in Tralee last year ordered payments to the poor box which were 133 times more than the judge in Ennis, it has emerged.

A rape victim who successfully campaigned for victim impact statements to be introduced in court said hearing the Kriegels' words after their daughter’s killers were convicted of murder and sexual assault were “the most important" she’s heard since she started campaigning.

Legislators need to define what “harmful communication” is before they try and address the problem in laws, a legal expert has said.

Irish governments are breaching the constitutional rights of children by failing to introduce, and implement, laws to protect them from online harms, a leading cyber-psychologist has said.

The government has made little or no progress in tackling online abuse, child sexual exploitation, harassment and intimidation despite numerous investigations, an Oireachtas committee has been told.

The Government has been criticised for “dragging its heels” on the establishment of a digital safety commissioner.

The Oireachtas Justice Committee heard claims that the industry is currently a “wild west”, where multinational corporations are earning “billions” of euro without any of the legal regulation governing traditional industries.

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by businessman and anti-eviction activist Jerry Beades against €9.6m judgment orders granted against him concerning loans advanced for a development of 48 apartments in north inner city Dublin.

It is not coincidental that demagogues silence the voices, the institutions — and standards — that challenge them.

The Law Reform Commission is recommending changes to the law to stop people involved in court actions taking defamation claims against journalists who make minor mistakes in reporting their case.

Rapist Patrick Nevin attacked three women he met on Tinder, but a criminal background check of every user of a dating app would be arduous, writes Joyce Fegan.

Four months on, Isme — the association representing small- and medium-size companies — is the latest trade body to wonder if the ministry’s understanding of the word “progress” is different to that which exists beyond its walls.

An organisation working to protect vulnerable adults is calling for “urgent delivery” of safeguarding legislation.

The State’s expert legal body is to examine the law regarding the inclusion of victims’ sexual history in trials and the high attrition rate in sexual offences cases.

Though voluntary bodies now have better protection against claims, their insurance costs are still rising, writes Tim O’Connor.

Tomorrow, there will be a referendum to change the constitutional provisions regulating divorce in Ireland. The proposed changes are:

Almost €1.74 million has been paid out from the court poor box to various charities in 2018, according to figures released by the Courts Service.

New laws designed to tackle revenge pornography and upskirting are welcome but the government needs to include proper sanctions in any measures, domestic abuse charities have warned.

Labour party leader Brendan Howlin has said those found guilty of revenge porn should be added to a sex offenders register.

Revenge porn, online stalking, and distributing intimate photos of people without their consent are set to be made crimes punishable by heavy fines and potential jail sentences — three years after the first calls for Government action.

Department of Finance officials vehemently rejected accusations by a TD that they are “batting for the banks” by opposing the so-called “no consent, no sale” bill.

A crackdown on harmful online material has been promised with the announcement of new laws to empower a cyber safety commissioner to fine, prosecute, and name and shame offending services.

David Byrne, Denis McCullough, Vivian Lavan and Ian Candy are not, collectively, household names in Ireland, but they should be.

Rape crisis groups say a change of attitude is needed in the courts and among the public towards victims of sexual violence and their treatment in trials.

The banning of live texting and tweeting by members of the public from the courts will “protect the integrity of Irish trials”.

Though it seems an unlikely prospect, should US President Donald Trump ever find himself in an Irish courtroom he would be denied his link to his Twitter constituency.

At least €39m from excess domestic charges for using water will help fund Irish Water in the coming years.

A husband or wife who kills their spouse will be unable to benefit financially from selling the family home under strict new laws set to be introduced by the Government.

New legislation will be brought before the Dáil next week to change a law which allows killers benefit financially from their crime.

The Government is blocking long-sought corporate manslaughter laws that would potentially see senior officials responsible for the cervical cancer tests scandal and other crises jailed because “the system is looking after itself”, it has been claimed.