In a statement released yesterday evening the ICBA stated that they wished to express “considerable concern” about the statements made by the justice minister on Monday 19 October in relation to the ongoing withdrawal of services by criminal solicitors.

The statement, by Brian Lindsay BL chair of the Association continued: “As the minister is aware, a full withdrawal of services by criminal solicitors has been effective in all courts since Monday 19^th of October.

“The concerns of solicitors relating to the minister’s creation and enactment of a new criminal legal aid scheme, without any meaningful consultation with the relevant stakeholders, have been stated clearly prior to the initial withdrawal of services in June of this year and repeatedly since that date.

“The Association is in agreement with solicitors that the criminal legal aid scheme, as it has been proposed, is based on a flawed analysis by the minister of insufficient data relating to the operation of the scheme in the District Court.

“The Law Society has described the impasse as having a profound impact upon the administration of justice over the past three months. The Association agrees with that assessment and is particularly concerned about the impact on victims of serious crime and accused persons whose cases have not been heard as a direct consequence of the ongoing dispute.

“The Association is acutely aware that victims who have prepared themselves in advance of trail dates, and who are often waiting for trials to occur for more than a year, are particularly vulnerable to the consequence of this disruption and the uncertainty that it has created.

“The Law Society has sought meaningful engagement with the minster since the introduction of the scheme in June 2026. It is unfortunate that there has been no such engagement, which has led to a full withdrawal of services by certain solicitors.

“This withdrawal affects all courts dealing with criminal offence, including District Courts, trials of offences in Circuit Courts and trails of the most serious offences in the Central Criminal Court.

“Since July 2026, this Association has continuously expressed its concern that a lack of engagement by the minister with the stakeholders would result in a significant impact on those who seek justice through the courts.

“A resolution to the current impasse can only come through dialogue and the Association again calls on the Minister to engage with solicitors to ensure the proper functioning of the criminal justice system.”