Barristers in Mayo continue protest action
Pictured outside Castlebar courthouse are back row; Brendan McDonnagh BL, Paul Kilraine BL, Grainne Quinn BL, Charles Murray BL, Patrick Reynolds, Circuit Prosecutor and Niall O'Driscoll BL. Front row; Sean McHale BL, Patrick Murphy BL, Darragh McDonnagh BL, Diarmuid Connolly BL, Michael O'Connor SC, Deirdre Browne BL and Dr. Laura Byrne. Photo: John Mee Photography
Criminal barristers withdrew service nationwide again yesterday (Monday) in the second of three days of action this month.
Protests took place where criminal cases were due to be heard, at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin, and Courthouses in Castlebar, Cork, Limerick, and Galway.
The Council of The Bar of Ireland has recommended the action due to the lack of progress in establishing an independent, meaningful, time-limited and binding mechanism to determine the fees paid to criminal barristers by the Director of Public Prosecutions and under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Scheme.
Budget 2024 saw the restoration of 10% of fees, following a withdrawal of service on October last year. However, even after this 10% was restored, the full range of FEMPI-era cuts that were applied across the public sector, continue to apply to the profession.
Mayo-based barrister Diarmuid Connolly, was among a number of practitioners protesting in Castlebar yesterday.
"We would have to say that we are disappointed with the lack of Government response. We would have preferred a more definitive commitment to resolving this issue, particularly as the Taoiseach has formally come out in relation to the pilots and told everyone to get their heads together and sort it out," said Mr Connolly.
He admitted it can be difficult to convince the public that his profession faces struggles.
It’s very difficult PR sell and there is a perception out there and it’s true that the top end of our profession make an awful lot of money. That’s the same for every profession. But that’s not what this is about. This is about encouraging people to stay in the career. Two thirds of all criminal barristers give up practice within six years. So what’s happening there is it militates against diversity, people from poorer socio-economic backgrounds aren’t getting paid properly and ultimately the pool of barristers who will become Senior Counsel and prosecute the most difficult cases and who will eventually become Judges aren’t going to be there."
“It’s not so much about the rate it’s about the equality. Every other group in the public pay purse has had their fees restored or their payments restored and we haven’t. We are actually getting back to rates of 2011. It’s not a pay increase it’s a restoration.”
