Consultation opens on civil legal aid scheme
A consultation on how the civil legal-aid scheme can be reformed has been launched, as part of a comprehensive, independent review.
Interested parties are invited to make submissions on the following themes:
- Types of civil law cases,
- Jurisdictions covered by the scheme,
- Eligibility,
- Financial contribution,
- Mode of delivery,
- accessibility,
- Awareness and assessment of the current scheme,
- The future.
An Independent Review Group, chaired by former Chief Justice Frank Clarke, will oversee the consultation process.
Robust scheme
He said: "Throughout my career, I have strived to broaden access to justice across the Irish legal system. Ensuring that we have a fair and robust civil legal aid scheme is key to achieving this.
"We will be considering a number of issues in the review, including eligibility for civil legal aid. This stakeholder consultation will be a valuable opportunity to hear from those most familiar with the scheme about its operation and potential for the future."
A separate, forthcoming consultation will invite members of the public to have their say, while a third is planned that is specifically designed to enable hard-to-reach groups so they, too, can contribute.
The consultation will run from Monday, 14 November 2022 until Friday, 6 January 2023.
Submissions can be made by email to legalaidcivil@justice.ie.