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Law Society welcomes for Government justice plan

The Law Society has welcomed the additional investment in justice and law reform signalled in the Programme for Government, but has expressed concern about a lack of detail on the reform of civil legal aid.

In a statement, the organisation congratulated the newly appointed Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan, adding that it looked forward to working with him on plans for law reform and modernisation of the courts system.

President of the Law Society Eamon Harrington described the plans for improving the legal and justice system in the programme as “a significant step in the right direction”. 

Criminal-justice review welcomed

He added that it was “encouraging” to see many of the Law Society’s policy priorities reflected in areas such as strengthening family justice, property-law reform, improving the Enduring Powers of Attorney system, widening access to the legal profession, and safeguarding community-based legal services.

The president welcomed a commitment to complete a review of the criminal-justice system within 12 months and the pledge to appoint 20 additional judges in the next year.

He also welcomed the renewed commitment to fully restore criminal legal-aid fees for the legal profession.

“This is long overdue, and the Department of Justice must prioritise establishing a clear pathway and timeline for the full restoration of fees, as well as advancing the delivery of reforms of criminal legal aid,” he added.

‘Significant need for change’

The president said, however, that the document offered “very little detail” on civil legal-aid reform, adding that this was “concerning, given the significant need for change in this area”.

“Without a clear commitment, the reform of civil legal aid risks being overlooked, leaving vulnerable individuals without the legal assistance they need in critical legal matters,” he warned.

The president added that the Government's ambitions for the legal system had to be met with targeted actions and timelines for delivery.

“The successful implementation of the justice priorities in the Programme for Government will depend on adequate funding, clear policy co-ordination, and ongoing engagement with legal professionals and stakeholders.

“The Law Society will continue to use the experiences and expertise of thousands of solicitors across the country to inform the development and implementation of justice and law-reform issues, and looks forward to playing a constructive role in helping Government deliver on its ambitious plans for the justice system,” the president concluded.