Cork Solicitors to Withdraw from Legal Aid Scheme Monday Amid National Protest
Cork solicitors will withdraw from the legal aid scheme on Monday in protest against Minister Jim O’Callaghan’s proposed reforms. The changes, effective July 1st, introduce a flat €455 fee per case, deemed unsustainable. This could create «legal deserts» and hinder fair trials, prompting calls to delay implementation and negotiate.
Solicitors in Cork will withdraw from the legal aid scheme on Monday as part of a national protest against proposed reforms by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan. This action is expected to cause significant disruption in district and Cork Circuit Criminal Court sessions, affecting approximately 80 people due for sentencing.
The reforms, set to take effect on July 1st, propose a flat fee of €455 per case for solicitors on the criminal free legal aid panel, regardless of adjournments or appearances. Jonathan Lynam, president of the Southern Law Association, representing about 750 solicitors in Cork, stated this is not commercially viable. Currently, solicitors receive €239.38 for a first appearance and €59.86 for subsequent appearances; a typical case with five appearances yields €478.82.
Lynam warned that these changes would lead to a «mass exodus» of solicitors, creating «legal deserts» and undermining access to fair trials, especially for vulnerable defendants. He noted that the 50 solicitors currently on the Cork criminal free legal aid panel would decrease. Additionally, a delay in payment until cases are completed would starve independent practices of cash flow. Lynam urged the Minister to delay the July 1st implementation and negotiate with the Law Society.