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Consultation opens on civil legal aid scheme

A consultation on how the civil legal-aid scheme can be reformed has been launched, as part of a comprehensive, independent review.

Interested parties are invited to make submissions on the following themes:

• Types of civil law cases,
• Jurisdictions covered by the scheme,
• Eligibility,
• Financial contribution,
• Mode of delivery,
• accessibility,
• Awareness and assessment of the current scheme,
• The future.

An Independent Review Group, chaired by former Chief Justice Frank Clarke, will oversee the consultation process. 

Robust scheme

He said: "Throughout my career, I have strived to broaden access to justice across the Irish legal system. Ensuring that we have a fair and robust civil legal aid scheme is key to achieving this.

"We will be considering a number of issues in the review, including eligibility for civil legal aid. This stakeholder consultation will be a valuable opportunity to hear from those most familiar with the scheme about its operation and potential for the future."

A separate, forthcoming consultation will invite members of the public to have their say, while a third is planned that is specifically designed to enable hard-to-reach groups so they, too, can contribute.

The consultation will run from Monday, 14 November 2022 until Friday, 6 January 2023.

Submissions can be made by email to legalaidcivil@justice.ie.