Roscommon solicitors escalate legal aid row
Local solicitors are withdrawing all their criminal services today, Wednesday and tomorrow, Thursday.
Solicitors in County Roscommon will completely withdraw all their criminal services today, Wednesday and tomorrow, Thursday in an escalation of their dispute over changes to the legal aid scheme.
The majority of criminal court cases have been adjourned throughout the county this month as solicitors say they are unable to provide services due to the new regulations being imposed.
The new scheme came into effect on July 1st and brings in a flat fee payment per client.
Under the old system, a solicitor was paid for each court appearance by a single person, starting at €239.38 for the first appearance, and then €59.86 for each subsequent hearing.
The new system replaces that with a €520 flat fee.
Following this week’s planned withdrawal of services, it is expected that further complete work stoppages will take place next week.
At Roscommon District Court yesterday (Tuesday), Judge James Faughnan adjourned a large number of listed cases as local solicitors said that they were not in a position to appear on behalf of their clients due to the ongoing dispute.
Judge Faughnan said that solicitors were “entitled to take that position,” but in the cases of bail applications he was “not taking any chances” and adjourned these matters.
Local solicitor Con Harlow previously stated that the new scheme being introduced by the Minister for Justice was an attack on the administration of justice and the erosion of the constitutional rights of someone in need of legal aid services.
He added the minister is “compelling us and imposing on us to accept a scheme which is completely unworkable and unsustainable. He is failing to recognise the responsibility involved in dealing with the provision of legal services to people who cannot afford to pay for legal services including juveniles, people with addiction problems and people with mental health issues.”
