Upcoming Seminars

See details here.

ELG (NI) is delighted to welcome Jason Galbraith – Marten KC from Cloisters Chambers, London (Jason Galbraith-Marten KC — Cloisters) who will deliver a talk on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers. 

Jason was called to the bar in 1991 and made silk in 2014. He has been involved in a number of landmark cases which have changed the employment law landscape in GB and NI. Such cases include Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland v Agnew,   Uber BV v Aslam and Varnish v British Cycling Federation. 

The talk will take place at the Inn of Court on 19^th February 2026 at 1pm. This is an in-person only event. 

If you would like to reserve a place, please rsvp to elgevents@carson-mcdowell.info.

Our next event will take place on 4^th December 2025 from 4pm in the Inn of Court.

We are delighted to welcome Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, Director of Operations, Employers for Disability NI. 

Gabrielle will speak on: 

• Understanding what neurodiversity is
• Key issues facing neurodivergent people
• How to support the recruitment and retention of neurodivergent employees
• Examples of good practice
• Sources of support

This will be an in-person only event. Please confirm your attendance by emailing elgevents@carson-mcdowell.info.

Thursday 13th November 2025 – 4:00pm-5:00pm
Hybrid event – in-person at Law Society House, Belfast and remote via Microsoft Teams
REGISTER HERE
Free

ELGNI welcomes Ryan Cushley BL and Craig Patterson (Legal Director, Pinsent Masons) to provide a practical overview of the law of unfair dismissal in Northern Ireland, designed for those new to employment law or seeking to refresh their understanding of the fundamentals. It will outline the statutory framework, explain who qualifies for protection, and explore the key stages in assessing fairness, including the potentially fair reasons for dismissal, the requirement of procedural fairness, and the approach taken by tribunals in determining whether an employer’s decision fell within the band of reasonable responses.

Questions are welcomed in advance or will be taken at the end of the seminar – please send any questions to elgevents@carson-mcdowell.info.

Thursday 16th October 2025 – 1:00pm-2:00pm
Hybrid event – in-person at Law Society House, Belfast, and remote via Microsoft Teams
REGISTER HERE
Free

About the Event
ELGNI welcomes Mrs Tiffney, Vice President of the Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal, to speak to members about practical elements of effective case management in the Tribunals, with particular focus on the role of the agreed Legal and Factual Issues document. The Vice President would welcome any questions from attendees to be sent in advance of the talk, which should be sent to elgevents@carson-mcdowell.info no later than midday on Tuesday 14th October 2025.

About the Speaker
Mrs Clare Tiffney was appointed as the Vice President of the Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal in June 2025, having been a full time Employment Judge since her appointment in February 2020. Prior to becoming a judge, Mrs Tiffney was a solicitor for 19 years, specialising in employment law and working both in the public and private sectors.

Questions
Questions are welcomed in advance. Mrs Tiffney will also take some questions at the end of the event.

Join ELG
Details of how to join are set out on our membership page.

After last year’s hugely successful event, the Employment Lawyers’ Group (Northern Ireland) 2025 Conference and Dinner will take place on Friday 28^th March 2025. The half-day conference will run from approximately 9.30am – 1.30pm at the Inn of Court (Old Bar Library). We are delighted to have Rachel Best KC, Peter Hopkins KC and James Laddie KC (Matrix Chambers, London) confirmed as our speakers together with a panel of Employment Judges. The dinner will take place at the Merchant Hotel, Belfast from 6pm and is sure to be a great night. Further details regarding the conference and dinner will follow.

Ticket costs per person are as follows:

Conference only – £50
Dinner only – £85
Conference and Dinner – £120

If you would like to attend, please email (elgevents@carson-mcdowell.info) and we will send you bank details for payment. Once you have made payment, please email us (elgevents@carson-mcdowell.info) and confirm: 

• Name(s) of the attendee(s);
• Confirmation as to whether they are attending the conference, the dinner or both events;
• Details of any dietary requirements
• Payment has been made.

Sponsorship opportunities available. If you would like to enquire about sponsorship or have any other queries, please contact Alexander Redpath (Alexander.Redpath@kennedyslaw.com), Sarah Cochrane (sarah.cochrane@carson-mcdowell.com) or Hannah McGrath (hannah.mcgrath@carson-mcdowell.com).

See the timetable for the conference here.

We hope to see you there!

Wednesday 29th January 2025 – 4:00pm-5:30pm
In-person event at Inn of Court, Old Bar Library, Belfast
Free

Welcome to the January 2025 Employment Lawyers Group NI (ELGNI) event where Ryan Cushley BL and Alexander Redpath (Senior Associate, Kennedys) will be discussing case management and the interlocutory process in the employment tribunals. This event is aimed at those new to employment law in Northern Ireland, or those who want a refresher on procedure prior to the final hearing. It will be of particular interest to members of the Northern Ireland Young Solicitors’ Association and The Young Bar Association. The event will be in-person at 4pm on 29^th January 2025 in the Inn of Court, Old Bar Library, Belfast. Tea/coffee and refreshments will be available.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the event. We would, however, welcome questions in advance. Please email any questions by midday on 28th January 2025 to employmentlawyersgroupni@gmail.com. If you are planning to attend this event (which is a free of charge seminar), please email to confirm your attendance at this address. 

Immediately following the event, we will hold our Annual General Meeting. The notice of the Annual General Meeting has been distributed to our members by email. Nominations for officers and committee members are invited by Friday 24^th January 2025 at 5:00pm. Please send any such nominations to me at this email address.

The Employment Lawyers Group Northern Ireland thanks you for your support in the 2023/2024 legal year. We will be in contact in relation to our forthcoming events in early September 2024.

The Employment Lawyers Group NI invites you to join us for a night of dinner, drinks, entertainment and networking with special guest, The Honourable Mrs Justice Eady, President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal of England and Wales.

Date:                8 March 2024 at 6pm

Location:         The Merchant Hotel Belfast (16 Skipper St, Belfast BT1 2DZ)

Cost:                 £85 per ticket

Dress Code:    Cocktail Attire

Tuesday 28th November 2023 – 4:00pm-5:00pm
Hybrid event – in-person at Law Society House, Belfast, and remote via Microsoft Teams
Register here
£10 for members, £20 for non-members

About the Event
Welcome to our November Employers Lawyers Group NI (ELG NI) Event where Adrian Colmer KC will be discussing Employment Related Litigation .
You have the option to attend in person at Law Society House Belfast (4th Floor Lecture Room tickets limited) or join us online via Zoom.
For those attending in person tea/coffee and refreshments will be available after the meeting at 5pm.

About the Speaker
Adrian Colmer KC was called to the Bar in 1994 .
His practice is predominantly in the Chancery Court and the Commercial Court. His main practice areas in these courts include banking, corporate insolvency, personal insolvency, professional negligence and property.
He has also appeared in the Judicial Review Court, acting on behalf of Government Departments and other public bodies.

Questions
Whilst there will be a live Q&A function during the meeting, we would welcome questions in advance. Please email any questions by midday on 27th November to employmentlawyersgroupni@gmail.com.

Membership
In order to avail of the membership rate, you will be required to sign up for ELGNI membership. Details of how to join are set out on our membership page.