UNIPA News || Dublin 27 June-Around 100 criminal defence solicitors staged a protest outside Dublin’s Courts of Criminal Justice on Thursday, intensifying opposition to planned changes to Ireland’s criminal legal aid payment system that are due to take effect on 1 July.
Under the proposed reforms by the Department of Justice, solicitors will receive a flat fee per client regardless of the number of court hearings required in a case. The Law Society argues that the changes effectively amount to a 20% reduction in criminal legal aid payments and could threaten the long-term viability of legal aid practice.
Law Society President Rosemary Loftus described the level of anger among criminal defence solicitors as unprecedented, warning that the new payment model would make legal aid work financially unsustainable for many practitioners. She also criticised the Government for introducing the reforms without sufficient evidence, arguing that policy changes should be based on comprehensive analysis rather than anecdotal claims.
Chair of the Bar Council, Senior Counsel Seán Guerin, said the current legal aid system ensures fair hearings and effective legal representation for those appearing before the courts. He stressed that any reforms should preserve the integrity of the criminal justice system and protect the independence of legal practitioners.
The protest received support from several legal and human rights organisations, including the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, the Irish Penal Reform Trust, and Free Legal Advice Centres. The organisations have urged the Department of Justice to reconsider aspects of the proposed reforms before their scheduled implementation.
As part of their campaign, criminal defence solicitors have already withdrawn from representing new bail and custody cases, declined to attend Garda stations or provide legal advice to detainees, and stopped participating in evening, Saturday, and special court sittings.
The industrial action has disrupted court proceedings, with a number of legal aid cases being adjourned in both the Circuit Criminal Court and the Central Criminal Court. Cases involving offences such as money laundering, drug trafficking, threats to kill, and rape have been affected.
The Department of Justice maintains that the reforms are intended to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice system. A recent departmental review concluded that the existing payment structure encouraged unnecessary multiple court hearings. Discussions between the Department and the Law Society are continuing ahead of the planned implementation date.
