Over 100 criminal solicitors walk out over aid dispute

Over 100 criminal defence solicitors in Dublin have gone on strike over a new legal aid scheme they claim is unworkable. The solicitors walked out of district courts this morning, continuing their protest initiated in June. The new flat fee payment of €520 per client per case is seen as inadequate by the solicitors. Previously, solicitors were paid based on individual court appearances, earning around €239 for the first appearance and nearly €60 for each subsequent hearing.

The Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, contends that the old system encouraged unnecessary adjournments and that cases funded by legal aid took longer to conclude. He suggests that many adjournments were sought by the prosecution, and many legal aid cases are complex, particularly those involving children or vulnerable clients.

Despite negotiations with the Law Society, the dispute remains unresolved. The solicitors demand a meaningful engagement with the Minister for Justice to resolve the issue. The minister regrets the decision of some solicitors not to engage with the Criminal Legal Aid panel, acknowledging that over 600 solicitors remain on the panel, with court proceedings proceeding unabated.

The new District Court Criminal Legal Aid Scheme aims to improve efficiency, but solicitors argue that the proposed fee structure could reintroduce the possibility of multiple certificates for certain cases, contradicting the intention to move to a single fee per case. Solicitors argue that the flat fee, set at €520, compensates for cases where multiple certificates would have been granted under the previous system.

Solicitors stress that the continued delays and adjournments caused by the dispute pose a significant threat to the criminal justice system, potentially impacting future proceedings and leaving victims in limbo.