Number of Cork solicitors resign over flat fee issue

Olivia Kelleher

A number of solicitors in Cork have resigned from the criminal legal aid panel.

The resignation follows confirmation from the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, that a €520 flat fee for criminal legal aid would be introduced from Wednesday.

The solicitors made statements to sitting judges at the Circuit, Central and District Courts in Cork on Wednesday.

Solicitor Tom Coughlan told Judge Siobhan Lankford at the Central Criminal Court that he and other solicitors had no other option than to tender their resignation from the panel.

Coughlan, who has an office off Cork city centre, said that he has written to the Justice Minister to confirm his resignation from the criminal legal aid panel.

"This is an extremely upsetting matter. I am very upset, my wife is very upset and my entire family is very upset by this. We felt we had no choice given the Minister’s comments. I and other are tendering our resignations from today.”

Since the dispute began earlier this month, solicitors already assigned in cases have been appearing in court to say that they are on record for clients but not in position to act for them because of the dispute.

The ongoing dispute is causing a major backlog in cases.

The majority of cases are being adjourned every day at the Cork Circuit Criminal Court during the current session of the court.

The cases are being adjourned to a future date in the hope that solicitors will be able to represent them at that time.

Cork solicitor Joseph Cuddigan had announced at Cork District Court on Monday that mass resignations could be expected this week arising out of the ongoing dispute.