The High Court has prohibited barrister Joseph Sallabi from providing legal services in Ireland unless he has professional indemnity insurance that complies with Irish regulations.
Mr Justice David Barniville, President of the High Court, announced his decision on May 21, 2026 following an application by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority. It was the LSRA's first application under section 35 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, which allows the court to restrain a legal practitioner from contravening the Act or regulations made under it.
Mr Sallabi qualified as an Irish barrister in October 2023. He had insurance arranged through AON and Zurich until the end of April 2025. He then relied on insurance associated with the Brussels Bar after registering on its EU list and said that policy covered his professional activities in Ireland.
The LSRA disagreed and required him to stop practising unless he obtained compliant cover. Mr Sallabi maintained that the Brussels policy was sufficient and argued that requiring another policy would improperly restrict rights available to him under EU law.
Barniville P rejected those arguments. He found that the Brussels policy did not cover legal services provided by Mr Sallabi in Ireland in his capacity as an Irish barrister. He also found that it failed to satisfy several requirements of the Professional Indemnity Insurance for Barristers Regulations 2024.
The court held that Mr Sallabi remained an Irish barrister when practising in Ireland, irrespective of steps he had taken to establish himself professionally in Belgium. He was therefore required to meet the same Irish insurance requirements as other Irish barristers practising here.
The practical effect is that Mr Sallabi cannot provide legal services in the State or hold himself out as currently entitled to do so until compliant insurance is in place and proof is supplied to the LSRA.
The orders announced on May 21 were to remain in force until 5pm on June 11, 2026. The judge stated that he intended, following delivery of his full judgment, to make them permanent unless and until compliant insurance was obtained.