Legal Aid

The Oireachtas justice committee's inquiry into access to justice and legal costs has lapsed as a result of the Dáil's dissolution for the general election. Rose Wall, CEO of Community Law & Mediation (CLM), gave evidence to the committee last month, calling for the expansion of civil leg

The Chief Justice of Ireland, Mr Justice Frank Clarke, has called for a "significant review" of the income thresholds used to determine eligibility for civil legal aid. Speaking at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the Legal Aid Board, Ireland's top judge said the "increased complexity of mod

The Chief Justice of Ireland, Mr Justice Frank Clarke, will reflect on the role of civil legal aid in ensuring access to justice at the Legal Aid Board's 40th anniversary celebrations tomorrow. The top judge will deliver the keynote address at the event, which will highlight the Board's contribution

A key UN committee has backed calls for Ireland's civil legal aid scheme to be expanded to help combat racial discrimination in employment and welfare. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has issued its recommendations to the Government following a formal examination of Stat

The lack of legal aid for racial discrimination and harassment claims in Ireland is depriving people from ethnic minority backgrounds of their rights, FLAC will tell UN experts today. Eilis Barry, chief executive of the legal rights group, is giving evidence in Geneva to the UN Committee on the Elim

A root and branch review of the provision of civil legal aid is urgently needed, the Oireachtas justice committee has heard . Eilis Barry, CEO of FLAC, joined a range of legal experts and representatives of the legal profession this morning at a committee meeting on the issue of "Access to Justice a

The chairperson of the Legal Aid Board has backed calls for fundamental and ambitious reform to the family law system. Philip O'Leary said he supported the findings of the Oireachtas justice committee's report on the family law system, which chairman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said ma

Legal aid for vulnerable migrant children who have been separated from their parents has been reinstated in England and Wales. Non-asylum immigration matters were removed from the legal aid scheme under major reforms in 2013, but ministers have now reinstated the scheme for under-18s who are not in

Far too many people are representing themselves in family law proceedings, legal rights group FLAC has warned. The Oireachtas justice committee yesterday published its report on the family law system, which chairman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said made “abundantly clear that the

The €1 million funding boost for the Legal Aid Board is not enough to allow for a "meaningful review" of the civil legal aid scheme, legal rights group FLAC has warned. The Board has been allocated €42.2 million in Budget 2020, which includes an increase of €1 million on the previous

There should be a "legal aid audit" when any new legislation is passed, the head of legal rights group FLAC has said.

A new report from the International Bar Association (IBA) Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee and the World Bank claims that improving legal aid services is as important for economic growth as providing functioning hospitals, schools and roads. The report, A Tool for Justice: A Cost Benefit An

Expanding the scope of legal aid is a better way of increasing access to justice than promoting greater uptake of legal expenses insurance, the chair of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland has said. Bar Chair Sarah Ramsey spoke at the launch of a new report on legal expenses insurance and access to

Civil legal aid should be widened to include areas of the law such as housing and homelessness, the Chief Justice of Ireland, Mr Frank Clarke, has said. Ireland's top judge made the remarks at the launch of the Mercy Law Resource Centre's 2018 annual report, which was streamed live over the internet

The impact of savage cuts in civil legal aid since 2012 has been so devastating that the UK’s most senior judge yesterday felt it necessary to broadcast an appeal for a legal charity. “I know how intimidating the civil and family courts can be for people without legal knowledge of help,&