‘This is outrageous’: Kerry solicitors remain resolute despite Justice Minister concessions
The KerrymanKerry solicitors have rejected concessions from the Justice Minister a controversial legal aid payment structure.
Solicitors across Ireland suspended most criminal legal aid services on June 17 to protest a flat fee payment of €520 that came into effect on July 1. Previously, solicitors received €239.38 for a new case and €59.86 for each subsequent hearing.
On Tuesday evening, as the deadlock entered its seventh week, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan announced amendments to the new plan. This included splitting the flat fee payment, with two thirds paid at the beginning of a case and a third paid when the case is closed, or 12 months after it begins.
The changes followed an hour and a half meeting with law practitioners on Monday.
Kerry solicitors said this fails to address their main concerns.
“It’s clear this is not going to work,” said Pat Mann, president of the Kerry Law Society.
“All that’s going to happen is the strike will continue, and it will probably get worse at this stage. It could escalate into the civil side, it could escalate into the family side, and we don’t want any of those things to happen.
“To me, this is outrageous. It’s effectively old wine in new bottles.”
Meanwhile, Kerry court cases are now being adjourned to the Christmas period due to the strike.
Regular court sittings break each year in August. During this time, there are no rural courts in Kerry and district court is held every Thursday in Tralee.
The Dingle sitting on Friday was the last district court outside of Tralee until September. A quarter of cases were adjourned until October 23 and November 27.
It was the third district court sitting of the week, following Killarney on Tuesday and Tralee on Wednesday.
The 84-item list included cases for the County Council and Minister of Transport, criminal charges and summons for traffic convictions.
A woman was fined for driving without car insurance, two family law cases were adjourned, a man was remanded in custody and another had his bail hearing adjourned to Friday. A third prisoner was released from custody when the State offered no evidence.
Kerry solicitors will continue to represent in-custody cases, said Mr Mann.
“There’s so few of them, and it would not be right that people would be just left in custody without something being done for them,” he said.