Lawyers ‘underappreciated national asset’ – Harris

Tánaiste Simon Harris has said the rule of law is the "invisible architecture" that prevents the collapse of democracy and ensures economic stability.

Speaking at the Law Society’s annual dinner at Blackhall Place (14 May), Harris addressed an audience of politicians, senior judges, legal practitioners, and diplomats.

Shield of Democracy

The Tánaiste said that democracies fail when institutions weaken and power goes unchecked.

He said the legal profession is not merely a commercial industry, but acts as a vital restraint on executive overreach.

"Democracies die when institutions become weaker, when power is not held to account, and when ordinary citizens start to believe that the system no longer protects everyone equally," Harris stated.

He invoked the legacy of former Taoiseach and lawyer John A Costello, describing the practice of law as the "great screen" between the individual and the state, ensuring that the exercise of power does not devolve into abuse.

Quiet certainty

The Tánaiste also spoke of the link between the Irish legal system and the country’s economic model and said that the quiet certainty of the legal environment is an underappreciated national asset.

This integrity is as essential to national growth as physical infrastructure or energy networks, he added, and takes on added significance as Ireland prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in July.

Strategic strength

Ireland’s position as the European Union’s only full common law jurisdiction is a "strategic strength”, he said.

The Irish legal tradition allows testing of European legislation against real-world consequences: "Ireland’s instinct isn't just to ask, 'is it correct?' but much more importantly, to ask, 'does it work?'" he said. 

Harris said that legal practice in the District Courts, Family Courts, and the Workplace Relations Commission, requires a particular kind of courage.

Such work, often defending the underdog against hostile public opinion or the machinery of the state, and is a shield to protect the most vulnerable, he said.

Legal cooperation

The Tánaiste said that government reforms must be functional in practice rather than just on paper and committed to ongoing engagement with the Law Society leadership, including President Rosemarie Loftus and Director General Mark Garrett, to ensure that legislative changes are grounded in the reality of the court system.

In her speech, Law Society president Rosemarie Loftus called for urgent investment in the nation’s judicial infrastructure, warning that ‘legal deserts’ are emerging in rural communities.

“The availability of legal services should not be determined by geography and geographics. 

“Yet we are seeing areas where access to solicitors is becoming increasingly limited,” she said. 

This has serious implications for individuals, businesses and communities, the president added.

“Access to justice is not an optional extra. It's the core component of the rule of law. It ensures that rights are not merely theoretical, but real and enforceable, and it underpins public trust in the entire system,” the president said.

The legal sector also supports employment across the wider community and underpins the work of multinational corporations, indigenous enterprises and startups alike.

Complex transactions

Law enables complex transactions, supports innovation and ensures compliance in an increasingly regulated global environment, the Law Society president said.

“In short, the legal profession is an enabler of the economy activity at every level. We may not realise it, but it is a quiet but essential engine of growth.”

Economic success rests on fundamental trust, in our courts, trust in our judiciary and trust in An Garda Síochána, she said.

Foundation

“They're not just merely desirable attributes. They're the foundation upon which the democratic system stands, and something which we may take for granted in the current environment,” the president said. 

Despite high levels of public trust in the judiciary and An Garda Síochána, the Law Society noted that Ireland continues to fall behind international peers in judicial appointments and modern court facilities, the Law Society president said.

President Rosemarie Loftus concluded by thanking her family and her friends for their love and support.