Legal Aid

Defence solicitors in Scotland have begun their first week of industrial action over domestic abuse cases after a collapse in talks with the Scottish government over reforms to legal aid. They will also decline to act where an accused has no solicitor and cannot represent themselves — and will

Criminal barristers have been urged by the Bar Council not to take part in a proposed wildcat strike over fee restoration. Hundreds of barristers are said to have signed a declaration which states that they "will not attend court on or after the 1st June 2024 for cases involving State-funded prosecu

A new law and family mediation centre in Ballymun has been launched by the Legal Aid Board. Located in the Lidl North Quarter of Ballymun, the new centre — the Board's 34th national centre — will provide access to civil legal aid and advice to the people of Ballymun and nearby areas.

The High Court has granted leave to apply for judicial review of the Legal Aid Board’s decision to revoke a legal aid certificate which had originally been granted in the context of intended proceedings to set aside a 1988 judgment. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice Garrett Si

The Legal Aid Board has set out its plans to enhance the delivery of civil legal aid and family mediation services to the public over the next three years. The statement of strategy for 2024–2026 places a strong focus on community service, alternative dispute resolution, and civil justice refo

A public consultation has been launched as part of a review of civil legal services in Northern Ireland. The Department of Justice is seeking views from people who have needed to get legal advice or help in court for issues including family courts, non-molestation order, faulty goods, exclusion from

Northern Ireland's legal aid spend was close to £102 million in 2022/23, an increase of seven per cent on the previous year, new figures show. A total of 63,976 cases were granted legal aid, of which over two-thirds (68 per cent) were criminal cases and around a third were civil cases.

Stormont's new justice committee has been briefed on key issues by the Bar of Northern Ireland and the Law Society of Northern Ireland. The new committee is chaired by DUP MLA Joanne Bunting, with Sinn Féin's Deirdre Hargey as vice-chair. It heard from representatives of the two legal profess

Nuala Egan SC has been appointed as chairperson of the Legal Aid Board. An experienced barrister who previously served on the Board, Ms Egan succeeds Ms Justice Nuala Jackson, who was appointed in 2021 for what was originally meant to be a five-year term.

The Legal Aid Board's family mediation service has launched a new call-back service aimed at making free mediation more accessible to families. Free mediation is available to families who have undergone a divorce, separation or living apart, as well as those navigating challenges in the aftermath of

The barristers and solicitors who earned the most from the criminal legal aid scheme in 2023 have been named. Wayne Kenny, principal of Dublin-based French Kenny Solicitors, was the highest-earning solicitor with earnings of €882,074.

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has invited solicitor members to complete a first-of-its-kind survey on the value of legal aid. The anonymous 10-minute survey, which can be accessed by clicking here, is part of a study commissioned by the Law Society and being undertaken by Rocket Science UK Ltd

Barristers' fees should be restored "as a matter of urgency" and direct payments should be introduced for those practising in the District Court, the Oireachtas justice committee has recommended. The committee yesterday published its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid

An £11 million boost to Northern Ireland's legal aid budget was announced today as more than 200 criminal barristers staged a day of strike action over lengthy payment delays. The Department of Justice announced the additional £10.9m in funding following talks with the Department of Fina

Criminal barristers in Northern Ireland are to stage a one-day strike on Friday 17 November 2023 in an escalating dispute over delays in legal aid payments. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) previously balloted members on a withdrawal of services in response to “unprecedented and worsening&rd