The Justice Minister’s sneering and dismissive approach to legal aid reforms is causing chaos
Chaos at the courts today is a mess of the Justice Minister’s making, according to Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon.
Deputy Gannon said:
“Up to 60 solicitors walked out of the Dublin District Court today in protest at the Justice Minister’s attempts to ram through changes to the legal aid scheme without any consultation with them.
“I have been warning that the change from an appearance-based fee to a flat fee, which was introduced today, would cause chaos and that is exactly what has happened.
“Solicitors have rightly laid the blame for this fiasco with the Minister. At every stage, he has refused to meaningfully consult with the Law Society about his plans to rip up a legal aid scheme that has operated for decades.
“According to the Minister, these changes are based on an internal departmental review of 350,000 cases and required in order to cut down the number of adjournments, which he says disproportionately occur in legal aid cases.
“However, that review was fundamentally flawed. The report itself states that it was unable to find the reason for adjournments because that information is not recorded by courts. The reality is, adjournments are very often sought by the State – not solicitors.
“Further, the report contained no analysis of the fact that people who rely on criminal legal aid often have a range of issues, including addiction and mental health issues, which means it can take longer to deal with cases.
“Despite all of this, the Minister has dreamed up these reforms, come up with an arbitrary figure for the flat fee and says he is not for turning. His public commentary on these changes has veered between sneering, dismissive and arrogant.
“The Minister has also refused to afford solicitors, who do this work, the basic courtesy of meaningfully consulting with them about these changes before he makes these radical and evidence-free reforms. Instead, they have been presented with a fait accompli.
“It is a shoddy and, ultimately, very damaging way to do business because the courts are now in chaos. Thousands of cases have already been adjourned, people facing serious charges are unable to get legal advice and criminal courts have effectively come to a standstill.
“The Minister has introduced these reforms now, but solicitors all over the country have clearly stated that they would rather resign from the scheme than operate under it. This is a mess of the Minister’s making.
“He must reverse these changes immediately and do what he should have done from the outset – sit down with the Law Society and meaningfully engage with them.”
1 July, 2026
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