Wicklow courts brought to near standstill as solicitors meet TDs over legal aid dispute

By Darragh McCann, The Wicklow People

The ongoing withdrawal of criminal legal aid services by solicitors brought proceedings at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court to a near standstill on Wednesday, July 22, with a full list of District Court appeals before Judge John Martin resulting almost entirely in adjournments.

The disruption is expected to continue when the court resumes on Thursday, July 23, with both the Circuit Court sentencing list and the District Court list expected to be affected, after the ongoing legal aid dispute caused widespread delays over the past three weeks.

The court delays come as the Wicklow Solicitors Association confirmed it met local TDs and senior representatives of the Law Society at Leinster House last week to discuss the ongoing dispute over the Government’s criminal legal aid reforms.

In a statement, the association said the meeting was attended by president Donal O’Sullivan, Brendan Maloney, Mark Maguire and Erin Murphy Allen, along with TDs Brian Brennan, Edward Timmins, Jennifer Whitmore, John Brady, Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin and Malcolm Byrne, as well as a representative from the Office of the Tánaiste.

The Wicklow Solicitors Association and local TDs at the meeting.

Law Society president Rosemarie Loftus and director general Mark Garrett also attended the meeting.

The statement said solicitors told politicians the new criminal legal aid regulations were “unworkable” and warned they would result in solicitors withdrawing from criminal legal aid work, “creating legal deserts and leaving vulnerable people at risk of no legal representation”.

They also criticised Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, claiming he had adopted a “‘not for turning’ and ‘take it or leave it’ attitude” rather than consultation and negotiation, “which they say would be a sign of real leadership”.

It added that those attending the meeting expressed hope elected representatives would encourage the minister to enter into “sincere dialogue with a view to resolving a dispute that is causing untold and ongoing damage to the administration of justice”.

Wicklow legal professionals added that the Office of the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, confirmed a report had been submitted outlining the concerns raised at the meeting and acknowledged that the discussions had been informative.

In a statement, the Law Society said it remains “deeply concerned at the impact the current dispute is having on the administration of justice”, adding that it was “regrettable that the Department of Justice is continuing to downplay the impact the current dispute is having on the administration of justice”.

Since July 1, the Department of Justice had issued just 174 criminal legal aid certificates, a figure later updated to 200.

However, 98,230 legal aid certificates were issued in 2024 and 98,617 in 2025, averaging around 1,800 certificates per week, with solicitors arguing the figures demonstrate a dramatic reduction in the availability of criminal legal aid.

Previously Avoca-based barrister Sorcha Diamh Ní Néill Fulham, stated that “not since the days of British Imperialism have we had a Minister for Justice seek to deny access to justice on such a scale”. “His arrogance and contempt is of a Cromwellian magnitude,” she added.

The Wicklow Solicitors Association said its members remain united in their opposition to the criminal legal aid regulations introduced on July 1.