Barristers and solicitors strike over legal fees in criminal cases
A SITTING of the Circuit Court in Sligo did not go ahead on Tuesday due to the withdrawal of services by criminal barristers who were supported by solicitors in a dispute over legal aid cuts.
The one day ‘strike’ meant the Circuit Court will only sit for three days this week.
The nationwide withdrawal of services was recommended by The Bar of Ireland to criminal law practitioners and was also backed by solicitors.
Fees for criminal barristers remain below 2002 levels in nominal terms, following a range of cuts applied during the financial emergency. In 2008 the government also unilaterally broke the link between fees paid to barristers with increases applied under public sector pay agreements.
Barristers have suffered a pay cut in real terms of more than 40% over the past twenty years while every other group of workers in the criminal justice system has seen pay restoration implemented.
This is despite a range of additional reforms and changed practices being delivered by barristers.
The one-day withdrawal of services has been recommended in pursuit of a mechanism to determine the fees payable to barristers by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) scheme.
The Bar of Ireland is the representative body for the barristers’ profession in Ireland and has a current membership of approximately 2,150 practising barristers.
State Prosecutor in Sligo, Mr Leo Mulrooney BL said the Bar was “calling for a meaningful and time limited mechanism” to determine the fees that are payable to barristers practising criminal law.”