Órla O'Donnell

Legal Affairs Correspondent

Woman 'woke to find taxi driver raping her', court told

A second young woman has told the Central Criminal Court how she woke up on her way home from a night out to find a taxi driver raping her.

Courts • 10 Jun 24

The man, who is 50 and from Dublin, has pleaded not guilty

Man accused of rape claims woman initiated contact

A taxi driver accused of raping two young women in separate incidents told gardaí that the first woman had initiated the physical contact between them and all sexual interaction was with her full consent.

Courts • 06 Jun 24

The man in his 50s, from Dublin, denies the charges

Taxi driver on trial for rape of two women in Dublin

A taxi driver has gone on trial charged with raping two young women in separate incidents in Dublin in the summer of 2022.

Courts • 05 Jun 24

Gerard O'Brien was found guilty of one count of attempted rape and eight counts of sexual assault (file photo)

Gerard O'Brien: From role model to disgraced former judge

The life of former judge Gerard O'Brien was one lived in adversity, his defence counsel told the court. Yet, for many years, he was hugely respected by those who dealt with him, writes Legal Affairs Correspondent Orla O'Donnell.

Analysis and Comment • 01 Jun 24

Former judge jailed for four years for sexual assault

A former Circuit Court judge has been jailed for four years for sexually assaulting six boys and attempting to rape one of them. Gerard O'Brien was found guilty of one count of attempted rape and eight counts of sexual assault.

Courts • 31 May 24

Professor Philip Nolan was notified on Monday that he was being dismissed from his role as Director General of SFI, his barrister told the court (File pic: RollingNews.ie)

Nolan granted temporary injunction to stop dismissal

The High Court has granted a temporary injunction restraining the dismissal of Professor Philip Nolan from his position as Director General of Science Foundation Ireland.

Courts • 30 May 24

Diarmuid Rossa Phelan is charged with murdering Keith Conlon on 22 February 2022

Trial of barrister for murder adjourned until October

The trial of a senior barrister who is accused of murdering a man in a shooting at a farm in Dublin has been adjourned until October.

Courts • 29 May 24

The Chief Justice said that the court had agreed in principle to run a pilot project to consistently broadcast the Supreme Court hearings (file image)

Supreme Court to broadcast hearings before end of year

The Supreme Court will start broadcasting its hearings before the end of the year, the Chief Justice has announced.

Courts • 28 May 24

The nine appeared before Dún Laoghaire District Court (Pic: RollingNews.ie)

Nine charged in relation to Dublin refugee centre protest

Five men and four women have been before Dún Laoghaire District Court charged with public order offences in relation to a protest at a centre for asylum seekers at Ballyogan in south Dublin.

Courts • 23 May 24

The matter will be before the court again on 29 July (file image)

Man guilty of manslaughter after his mother dies in fire

The Central Criminal Court has heard that a 63-year-old man set fire to the house he lived in with his mother and told witnesses he had killed her.

Courts • 16 May 24