Judge adjourns challenge to legal aid rules due to talks
A high court judge has adjourned making final orders in a challenge taken by a solicitor to new legal aid regulations after being told that talks between the two sides were ongoing.
Judge Mary Rose Gearty postponed a final decision on a legal challenge against new Irish legal aid regulations due to ongoing negotiations. The solicitors' representatives and officials from the Department of Justice were meeting today to discuss the matter. This was the third meeting since Gearty's ruling that parts of the regulations were unfair and illogical.
The new rules provide a flat fee of €520 per accused person, regardless of the case complexity. Protests by solicitors against the new rules have disrupted the criminal justice system for over four months. Gearty recognized the good faith of both sides, noting that they had collaborated for many years. The judge emphasized that reaching an accommodation was preferable to a court order. The case will be revisited on November 24, with further challenges set for December 1.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
