Legal

Government to consider postponement of patent court referendum

Political and legal sources have expressed their concerns over the June referendum to the Business Post over recent weeks

The Unified Patent Court was designed with a mixture of civil law and common law procedures because it was heavily influenced by Germany and the UK, before the latter withdrew from the EU. Picture: Getty

The government is to consider postponing the upcoming patent referendum at next week’s cabinet, as mounting political and legal concerns have cast doubt on whether the vote will be successfully passed.

As reported by the Business Post, there is disagreement among legal professionals on the benefits of Ireland participating in a new EU patent court, with some warning that it could threaten Ireland’s economy.

Political sources, meanwhile, have also flagged concerns over the June referendum ...