As regular sittings resumed this week following the August holiday, Louth courts continue to be impacted by a solicitors’ strike over changes to the legal aid payment scheme.
On July 1, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan implemented a flat fee of €520 for criminal legal aid in the district court, rather than per-appearance fees.
Previously, solicitors were given €240 for the first appearance and €60 on subsequent appearances.
The €520 fee is equivalent to five appearances under the old system, plus an 8pc increase in fees which was given to all criminal lawyers this year.
The feeling among some local practitioners is that if the minister sits down with lawyers everything could be sorted out.
A spokesman for the law society said a proposal was put to the minister that was declined or refused without any further change.
He added victims and witnesses and family members of victims are having to put up with the delay.
At Dundalk District Court on Wednesday, for example, nine cases could not be sent forward to the circuit court.
Judge Nicola Andrews explained to each of the accused that there was a solicitors’ strike on and adjourned each matter to a date in December.
The next term of the circuit criminal court in Louth begins on October 5.
Meanwhile, some other cases on the list for summary disposal in the district court were put in for hearing as far away as next May.
The only matters finalised were when it was confirmed that one man had made a charitable donation to have a charge struck out, while a male serving a sentence and summonsed for possession of a small quantity of drugs said he wanted it dealt with.
Of course, defendants are still obliged to attend court and for some of those who did not turn up on Wednesday, bench warrants were issued.
This prompted Judge Andrews to remark, tongue in cheek, that she wanted billboards in Dundalk and Drogheda saying, “Solicitors are on strike. The judge isn’t.”
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme