LESS than 20 legal aid certificates were issued in one month across Cork courts as the criminal justice system has been described as being ‘in crisis’.
New figures from the Courts Service show the drastic fall in criminal legal aid certificates granted in Cork courts since introduction of the disputed new legal aid payment scheme.
Across the county certificates granted by the District Court Office fell from 677 in July 2025 to just 18 in July 2026. In Mallow, the number dropped from 118 to zero, while Clonakilty recorded a fall from 54 certificates to one.
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The figures, provided to the Law Society, show a nationwide reduction of 93%. A total of 702 certificates were granted across Ireland in July 2026, compared with 10,277 during the same month last year.
The Law Society has called on Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan to appoint an independent mediator to help resolve the dispute surrounding the new scheme.
Jonathan Lynam, president of the Southern Law Association, described the figures as ‘deeply concerning’.
‘As a direct result of the new scheme introduced by the Minister for Justice, the criminal justice system in Cork is under significant pressure,’ he said.
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.
