The Law Society is deeply concerned at the impact the current dispute is having on the administration of justice.
The latest figures from the Department of Justice point to a collapse in the number of Criminal Legal Aid Certificates issued since changes to the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme took effect.
The Department has stated that just 174 certificates issued over the past two weeks. In comparison, 98,230 legal aid certificates were issued in 2024 and 98,617 in 2025 - an average of about 1,800 per week, or 3,600 over an average two-week period.
Measured against this baseline, the current figures represent a collapse of over 90% in the volume of certificates being issued, indicating that cases are not progressing through the court system.
It is very disappointing that the Department of Justice appears to be seeking to downplay the scale of this disruption and its impact on court users, rather than engaging constructively with the concerns raised by solicitors.
The Law Society believes a resolution can be found and remains willing to meet with the Department of Justice at any time in order to solve the current impasse.
