Court case adjournments continue but hope grows for end to legal aid dispute
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Almost all of the criminal cases at Roscommon District Court were adjourned this morning due to the ongoing dispute over changes to the legal aid scheme.
Sitting in Castlerea Courthouse today, the vast majority of cases were adjourned to next month as solicitors have withdrawn their services. This dispute started in July and has had a significant impact on the running of courts around the country.
During the sitting, news came that the High Court had upheld a solicitor’s challenge against the new criminal legal aid payment model, leading to hopes that the dispute could be resolved soon.
As reported in the Irish Times, Judge Mary Rose Gearty described some provisions of the model as being outside the powers of the Minister of Justice, “grossly unfair” and “demonstrably illogical”.
