Courts / Wicklow / Report

Disgraced solicitor Lynn brings High court challenge over legal costs refusal

Summary

Michael Lynn, a former solicitor now serving a five‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for €17.9 million fraud, has filed a High Court judicial review against the Department of Justice. The department refused to pay for his lawyers' review of the thousands of pages of documents disclosed during his retrial, arguing that, as a qualified solicitor, Lynn could review the material himself. Lynn's counsel, Mark Lynam SC, argues that the refusal breaches his constitutional right to a fair trial and the European Convention on Human Rights. He seeks an order quashing the refusal, a remittance for fresh consideration, and declarations that the department acted irrationally and in error. The case was granted ex‑parte permission by Justice Niamh Hyland and will return next month. The review involved roughly 150,000 hours of work and included over 9,000 additional pages not seen in the first trial. Michael Lynn was found guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Disgraced solicitor Lynn brings High court challenge over legal costs refusal. Charges or matters: stealing €17.9m from six financial institutions by taking out multiple mortgages on the same properties. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• 2024-05-13 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Fraud Stage Finding

Related court reports

• Disgraced ex-solicitor Michael Lynn's appeal to go to Supreme Court
• Disgraced former solicitor Michael Lynn fails to have prison sentence reduced
• Disgraced former solicitor Lynn could be released from prison next month if appeal succeeds, lawyers say
• Disgraced former solicitor Lynn gets legal aid for appeal after telling court 'he has no means'
• DPP investigating if millions in assets linked to disgraced solicitor Lynn are benefits of crime
• Disgraced solicitor Lynn must provide financial statement for legal aid

Read the original CNI report