Flat fee to remain as O’Callaghan announces changes to legal aid scheme
Irish Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has upheld a controversial flat fee for criminal legal aid despite solicitor strikes. The government will now split the payment into two installments to address practitioner concerns without increasing total costs.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the tension between government budget management and the accessibility of legal representation for the indigent.
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has announced changes to the new legal aid scheme that has prompted solicitor strikes, but said the flat fee "will remain".
The Law Society of Ireland said criminal law solicitors would consider the correspondence from the minister.
On July 1st, O'Callaghan implemented a flat fee of 520 for criminal legal aid in the district court, rather than per-appearance fees, prompting anger and withdrawal of services among solicitors practising in the area.
Previously, solicitors were given 240 for the first appearance and 60 on subsequent appearances.
The new 520 euro flat fee is equivalent to five appearances under the old system - which Mr O'Callaghan argues is the average amount of appearances for criminal legal aid cases - plus an eightper cent increase in fees which was given to all criminal lawyers this year.
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