THE Law Society has welcomed the comments of the High Court on Tuesday when it urged the parties involved in a Judicial Review of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme to resolve the matter outside of court, writes Martin Steinmetz.
The comments from the High Court are significant and follow concerns expressed by the Chief Justice who last week said the continuation of the dispute between criminal defence solicitors and the Department of Justice was a matter of concern to him and to judges generally.
In a statement issued to The Southern Star the Law Society said it agrees that this matter needs to be resolved without any further delay.
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It again called on Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and his officials to meet directly, as the minister has previously ruled out mediation.
“The Law Society has repeatedly sought to resolve this dispute,” said a Law Society spokesperson.
“Our objective is to secure an effective and sustainable criminal legal aid system that protects access to justice and commands the confidence of those who use it.”
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