Law Society ‘put forward solutions’ on fees row
Law Society President Rosemarie Loftus has said that the organisation will continue to engage with the Department of Justice in the coming days, after a meeting with the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan today (27 July).
In a statement, the president said that the Law Society welcomed the opportunity to meet the minister to discuss the dispute over a flat-fee payment scheme for criminal legal aid introduced on 1 July.
She added that, while solicitors had been calling for reform of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme for years, some of the changes implemented were “unworkable and impractical”.
‘Significant issues’
Solicitors have been withdrawing from the legal-aid scheme in protest at the new structure, while Dublin criminal-defence solicitors last week staged a two-day withdrawal of services.
“At the meeting, the Law Society outlined exactly where the significant issues lie, and proposed solutions to address them,” the president stated.
“The Law Society will continue to engage with the Department of Justice in the coming days to try to find a workable way forward," she concluded.