James McDermott | Business Post

James McDermott

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James McDermott: We are getting more politicians, and we only have ourselves to blame

The government should ask the people if they really want an expanded Dáil, but it won’t

James McDermott: In the era of ChatGPT, pen and paper exams may be the only way to prevent cheating

The escalating arms race between sophisticated cheating services on the one hand, and enhanced detection services on the other, could mean going back basics

James McDermott: Law and disorder, and why waving a magic legislative wand spells trouble

The Harry Potter approach to law making can do more harm than good, a new book by New Zealand judge David Goddard reveals

James McDermott: No worker should be short-changed when tips are dished out

New legislation governing tipping will allow an employer to consider employees’ seniority and experience when distributing gratuities, but is this fair?

James McDermott: Our education system has emerged from Covid in need of treatment

From grade inflation to trainee teachers checking state exams to the likelihood of chunks of the third-level syllabus being dropped, education has taken quite a battering in the pandemic

James McDermott: Celebrity off-the-pitch court dramas are in a league of their own

Rebekah Vardy’s seven-day defamation action in court cost her a hefty £3 million and was the latest example of how football, celebrities and the courts are rarely an even match

James McDermott: For a bank that is supposed to ‘back brave’, AIB’s cashless escapade was cowardly

Going cashless may have been a surreptitious first step to closing branches because, without cash, there is less footfall, which can then be blamed for closure

James McDermott: Unfairness of Trinity vote is a recurring theme

As rivals jockey to replace Ivana Bacik in Seanad Éireann, it’s worth reminding ourselves that the very concept of a university senator is an anachronistic one

James McDermott: Can McEntee’s defamation law reforms bring an end to astronomical awards?

Irish juries are known for awarding large damages in defamation cases which are often overturned on appeal. The proposed removal of juries from High Court cases should reduce these awards, but should the reforms go further?

James McDermott: Here’s a good tip – workers should be paid a living wage, and soon

The proposed tips and gratuities bill is needed, but replacing the minimum wage with a living wage would mean our most vulnerable workers do not have to rely on the generosity of strangers for their income

James McDermott: If cash is no longer king, it shouldn’t be persona non grata either

The rush to replace our legal tender with credit card and smartphone payments disadvantages the more vulnerable in society, not to mention the fact that technology has a habit of breaking down

James McDermott: That sinking feeling when cabinet ministers can’t resist a sneaky leak

Secrecy at cabinet meetings is a valuable protection for all involved, but that doesn’t seem to occur to the senior politicians involved

James McDermott: Making promises you can’t keep can come back to haunt you

The carbolic smoke ball, it was claimed in a previous pandemic, would prevent influenza, but when Elizabeth Carlill caught the flu after using it, she successfully sued its inventor in an action that has become a contract case law classic

James McDermott: It’s high time our GAA heroes were paid fairly for their sporting labours

With a US Supreme Court judge bluntly raising the issue of proper pay for college athletes, Gaelic footballers and hurlers may soon be thinking along the same lines

James McDermott: How ‘lucky leader’ Southgate has made an impossible job seem almost possible

A string of England managers have been ridiculed into oblivion by British tabloids, but Gareth Southgate has had good fortune on his side, making use of a handy draw to bring his team to tonight’s Euro 2020 final

James McDermott: The show is over for the old-style tout but the saga of over-priced tickets goes on

There’s a simple way to end the outrageous exploitation of gig-goers: put our wallets back in our pockets

James McDermott: The grounds for our world sporting bids would not inspire confidence

The only way our joint bid with the British nations for the 2030 World Cup finals will succeed is if Fifa officials are kept well away from inspecting our run-down stadiums

James McDermott and Matthew Sadlier: The study of medicine needs to go back to the future

Next weekend, the Health Professions Admissions Test will be taken by thousands of students who want to study medicine. But can a stressful multiple-choice written exam really predict suitability for the profession?

James McDermott: ‘Out of office’ is not a done deal just yet

Legislation permitting employees to ask not to show up is on the way, but the right to work from home is not guaranteed for everyone

Free access to televised sport more important now than ever

Rugby’s Six Nations matches aren’t on Ireland’s designated list of free-to-air, sports, neither is Uefa’s Nations League. But none of the four priority bills presented by sports minister Catherine Martin’s department dealt with a problem that is based solely on financial considerations