Judge 'can't understand' why legal aid row has hit Tullamore Circuit Court
A JUDGE sitting in Tullamore has said he cannot understand why the dispute over legal aid payments has affected the Circuit Court .
Solicitors withdrew their services this week in protest against changes to the scheme which governs how they are paid for clients who cannot afford to pay for legal representation.
The move resulted in numerous cases being adjourned at Tullamore District Court on Wednesday and in courts all over the country.
At Thursday morning's sitting of Tullamore Circuit Court it emerged that the higher court was also being impacted.
One barrister told Judge Keenan Johnson she could not proceed because of the absence of an instructing solicitor and another said the advice from the professional practices committee of the bar council was not to proceed.
Legal practitioners indicated Judge Johnson was correct when he said he understood solicitors had withdrawn their services “on the basis of what's proposed in the District Court”.
Judge Johnson added: “I can't understand why there's a withdrawal of services in the Circuit Court and the High Court in those circumstances. It doesn't make sense to me.”
In one case where a barrister said his advice was not to proceed with a case, the judge said he had a judgment ready and would deliver it because there would be no prejudice to any party.
In another case, where a convicted person was due to be sentenced, Offaly prosecution counsel Shane Geraghty, BL, said it could not proceed because of the withdrawal of solicitor services.
Mr Geraghty said the failure to proceed with that case was “disappointing” because it was one where there were “certain sensitivities” and there had already been a judicial review and the involvement of the Court of Appeal.
“The complainant is disappointed that the matter isn't to be dealt with today,” said Mr Geraghty.
He requested an adjournment to November 17 next, the next available session of Tullamore Circuit Court.
Judge Johnson adjourned the matter but remarked that it was a “long adjournment”.
(Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme)