STARE DECISIS: The legal principle by which courts are obliged to respect the precedents established by prior decisions.

Starting in January 2011, the site Stare Decisis Hibernia includes updates on all recently published judgments of the Irish superior courts. The updates normally appear within 10 days of being posted on the Courts Services web site (link).

Since January 2012, the site has included several judgments of the superior courts of Northern Ireland, and aims to cover all Northern Irish cases.

You can:
subscribe to the site by way of e-mail (for free);
follow the updates on Twitter @staredechib; or
follow the Facebook page, for occasional updates on key judgments.

The updates normally include: i) a summary of the court’s decision; ii) a link to the text on the Courts Services web site (where available); iii) key terms and phrases used; d) the main authorities cited.

COMMENT ON STARE DECISIS HIBERNIA:

“Hugely impressive service.” Colm Mac Eochaidh SC, 5 April 2011 (link)

“Very helpful new blog.” Eoin O’Dell, senior lecturer, Trinity College, Dublin (author of blog: cearta.ie ), 18 February 2011 (link)

“After using [Stare Decisis Hibernia] for a few days, it is brilliant. Easiest way to keep up-to-date for a lawyer. Highly recommended.” Maurice Dockrell BL, @MauriceDockrell, Twitter, 6 July 2011

“This is a fantastic site for keeping up with the latest judgments. Cannot recommend it highly enough.” Mark Ronayne, solicitor, @NotaryDublin,
Twitter, 11 July 2011.

“Well done and thanks for this excellent service.” John O’Keeffe, solicitor, Kinsale, Co Cork, 18 July 2011 (link)

Recommended by Lisa Jackson, in “Tweeting lawyers”, Parchment, Spring 2011 (The journal of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association) (link to copy)

CONTRIBUTORS:

Mark Tottenham BL  is the editor of Stare Decisis Hibernia. He founded the site in January 2011. He is a barrister, in practice in Dublin and on the south-eastern circuit. He has a general practice, including criminal law, property law and medical negligence. (Link)

He is a regular contributor to Laffoy’s Irish Conveyancing Precedents, and has written on legal matters for The Irish Times, The Conveyancing and Property Law Journal, the Medico-Legal Journal of Ireland and the Irish Law Times. He is a regular contributor to “The Brief”, a legal affairs radio programme, broadcasting every Thursday on Near 90.3 FM and available on podcast.

Ciaran Joyce BL writes for Stare Decisis Hibernia on recent criminal judgments. He is a barrister based in Dublin with a general practice, but a special interest in criminal law. (Link.)

Alan Woods BL contributes to Stare Decisis Hibernia on asylum and immigration judgments. He is a barrister, based in Dublin, with a general practice. (Link.)