Minister Jim O'Callaghan says despite the solicitors' dispute, the majority of Central Criminal Court cases proceeded without issue yesterday

Minister questions solicitors' withdrawal from rape cases

by · RTE.ie

The Minister for Justice will tomorrow call on solicitors to explain why cases involving allegations of rape were in his words, "deliberately affected" today in the dispute over changes to the legal aid scheme.

Minister Jim O'Callaghan will tell the Oireachtas Justice Committee that the public are entitled to an answer as to why this was the case.

A majority of solicitors working in criminal legal aid across the country have been in dispute with Minister O’Callaghan since a new €520 flat-fee payment for legal aid cases was introduced in July.

The Minister insists that legal aid continues to be granted by the courts; solicitors continue to provide representation, and defendants continue to receive legal services throughout the State.

However, he will acknowledge that, particularly in Dublin, a number of solicitors have withdrawn services which has impacted court hearings.

But Minister O’Callaghan will state that despite this, in the Central Criminal Court yesterday, the majority of cases proceeded without issue.

Five trials continued in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, with both Waterford and Limerick unaffected by the strike and the cases listed there continuing.

There were also 12 new trials listed in the call over in Dublin yesterday.

In two of those cases, the jury was sworn in, and the cases will commence tomorrow. A guilty plea was entered in a third case.

Three trials were adjourned to 20 October on application, unaffected by the withdrawal of services.

Six cases were adjourned due to the withdrawal of services by solicitors.

The Minister will point out that every one of these was a case involving an allegation of rape.

He will place on the record his deep concern that the only cases "deliberately affected by the withdrawal of services in the Central Criminal Court yesterday were those involving allegations of rape".

The Minister says he will continue to engage with the Law Society, adding that he has already agreed to a number of changes to the new scheme.