Legal Aid

Northern Ireland's Department of Justice is seeking views on opportunities to simplify and speed up processes relating to legal aid. Justice minister Naomi Long has published two public engagement papers as part of the 'Enabling Access to Justice' reform programme.

Pádraig Langsch sets out proposals to improve efficiency in the District Court without sacrificing fairness. In my last opinion published on 26 February in Irish Legal News, I commented on the minister for justice’s proposal to introduce a flat‑fee system in District Court criminal le

The High Court has refused to grant leave to challenge a decision of the Ombudsman upholding a refusal of civil legal aid by the Legal Aid Board. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Anthony Barr determined that the applicant had not made out an arguable or stateable case that the resp

Investment in civil legal aid would "improve the lives of women in a practical way", FLAC has said in the run-up to International Women's Day. The independent legal, human rights and equality organisation has written to members of the Oireachtas to highlight the barriers to justice faced by women in

The Law Society of Ireland has said it is "deeply concerned" by government proposals to introduce a flat fee model for criminal legal aid in District Court cases. Justice, home affairs and migration minister Jim O'Callaghan this week said his proposed new model “will lead to a more efficient s

Plans to effectively slash criminal legal aid payments in the District Court have been set out on the same day the government confirmed a date for fee restoration. Justice, home affairs and migration minister Jim O'Callaghan last night announced he is seeking to introduce a system whereby one flat f

Ireland's leading legal rights charity has hit out at the "entrenched cliché that legal aid is just ‘more money for lawyers’" as it warned the civil legal aid system is at risk of collapse. FLAC's chief executive, Eilis Barry, appeared before the joint Oireachtas committee on just

An accelerated review of legal aid reform will take place in Northern Ireland following a breakthrough in talks between justice minister Naomi Long and striking criminal barristers. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) began a withdrawal of services from all legally-aided Crown Court cases at the star

Northern Ireland's justice minister has withdrawn a proposal aimed at resolving a month-long strike over legal aid fees, according to the Criminal Bar Association (CBA). In a statement issued this morning, the CBA said it was "disappointed and perplexed" by Naomi Long's decision to propose and then

A high-profile murder trial is set to go ahead in spite of the Northern Ireland barristers' strike after an exemption was agreed between barristers and prosecutors. Stephen McCullagh denies murdering Natalie McNally in December 2022.

Government officials are still considering the recommendations of two rival reports on civil legal aid reform published more than six months ago, Jim O'Callaghan has said. The justice, home affairs and migration minister told a major conference on Monday that reform was on its way, but said he was u

Northern Ireland's justice minister, Naomi Long, has again threatened to introduce "alternative models for delivery of services provided by the criminal bar" in response to the barristers' strike. Mrs Long yesterday told MLAs that she is set to meet with the chair and vice-chair of the Criminal Bar

Ireland's civil legal aid system could be pushed "from a state of crisis to one of collapse" this year unless "radical reform" is implemented, FLAC has warned as a major conference gets under way. The independent legal, human rights and equality organisation is today hosting a conference on civil le

Top legal figures will next week address a major day-long conference on civil legal aid reform. Hosted by FLAC and Trinity College Dublin School of Law, the conference will bring together Ireland’s access to justice stakeholders and experts to respond to the review of the civil legal aid schem

Northern Ireland's justice minister, Naomi Long, has rejected calls for mediation to resolve a long-standing dispute over criminal legal aid fee levels. Members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) yesterday withdrew services from all legally-aided Crown Court fees in a significant escalation of in