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Mental Health Review Board seeks solicitors

The Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified solicitors for inclusion on the Mental Health (Criminal Law) legal representatives panel.

The Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board is an independent statutory body, which was established under section 11 of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 on 27 September 2006. 

The board is responsible for reviewing the detention of patients in designated centres who have been referred by a court, having been found either unfit to stand trial or not guilty of an offence by reason of insanity.

Mental disorder

The board also reviews the detention of prisoners who have been transferred to a designated centre suffering from a mental disorder.

The board is independent in the exercise of its function.

Reviews take place in the Central Mental Hospital, Portrane, in Co Dublin, every month. 

Those applying for inclusion on the panel must: 

1. Hold a current practising certificate from the Law Society of Ireland, 
2. Have professional indemnity insurance to cover an individual claim of up to €1.5m,
3. Be a practising solicitor of not less than three years’ experience.

At the time of application and through tenure, the legal representative must be practising.

Any law firm that wishes to participate in the scheme must provide the above details for each lawyer who proposes to provide the required legal services.

Legal representatives will be expected to act on behalf of their client(s) in a manner in keeping with the Law Society code of practice ‘The Guide to Professional Conduct’, and any other directions issued by the Law Society. 

Candidates must comply with tax clearance procedures and be familiar with the use of the MS Office suite.

Expressions of interest should be emailed to MHRBlegalpanelapplications@justice.ie before close of business on Friday, 7 June.