The impact of the withdrawal of criminal defence services was starkly underlined today by data showing 702 criminal legal aid certificates issued last July, compared with more than 10,000 in July 2025.

The data, sought by The Irish Times, was released by the Courts Service as more than 100 solicitors based in Dublin prepared to walk out of courts in the Courts of Criminal Justice building as the new District Courts legal term opened on Tuesday.

Their action is expected to be mirrored by other criminal defence solicitors in courthouses across the country.

Hundreds of criminal defence solicitors around the country have participated in a withdrawal of services since last June in protest at the planned introduction of a new legal aid fees model for the District Courts.

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The action intensified into a near total withdrawal of services after the new model came into effect on July 1st.

That has led to the adjournment of thousands of criminal cases, affecting accused persons, witnesses, victims, prosecuting gardaí and adding to existing delays and backlogs in the courts.

The data released on Tuesday shows the number of legal aid certificates granted in the District Court, including for District Court appeals and cases sent forward for trial, including murder charges, was 10,277 in July 2025.

The number of certificates granted from July 1st 2026, when the solicitors’ action intensified, to July 31st 2026, was 702.

The number of certificates granted in July 2025 in Dublin District Court in the CCJ was 3,344. In July 2026, the number was 60.

As the legal year ended on July 31st last, more than 200 defence solicitors decided to continue into August their withdrawal of services.

There were regular emergency and special sittings of the District Courts during the August vacation as well as some vacation sittings in the Circuit and Central Criminal Courts.

A core element of the new model is one flat fee of €520 per client, irrespective of the number of charges and court appearances.

That replaced the previous system of about €239 for the first appearance and €60 for each subsequent appearance.

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said the new model will mean more efficiency and cost savings.

At a meeting in late July, about 200 solicitors overwhelmingly rejected amended proposals from O’Callaghan aimed at ending the dispute.

Their representative body, the Law Society, wrote to the minister with counterproposals.

Under O’Callaghan’s amendments, the single flat fee of €520 per client, based on an average five appearances and irrespective of the number of separate prosecutions before the court, remained in place.

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Defence solicitors want the new fee structure to reflect the number of separate and distinct prosecutions involving an accused person and the work and court appearances required of solicitors in preparing for those. They say much of their work involves accused persons with addiction and mental health issues who routinely face multiple prosecutions at a single sitting.

They welcomed the minister’s proposal to front-load payment of two thirds of the €520 fee at the outset of a case, with the final one third paid at the end, or after 12 months since the case began, whichever is sooner.

The solicitors are sceptical about the department’s proposal to review, after six months, the operation of the new scheme in the Children’s Court and for cases where over 20 appearances are required. They want a clear commitment they will be adequately paid for cases involving multiple appearances.

Solicitors participating in the withdrawal have continued to act for clients remanded in custody before July 1st but will not act in other cases since July 1st, including cases involving the execution of bench warrants.

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