Barristers will stage a third day of unprecedented industrial action next week when the Courthouse in Clonmel is to be picketed between 10am and 1pm. The Barristers are holding three days of work stoppage for July 9th, 15th and 24th in support of a pay claim. The Bar of Ireland says the Government has failed to honour their commitment to an independent review of fee rates. Cuts ranging from 28.5% to 60% have been applied to fees from 2008 – 2011. In 2008, the Government unilaterally broke the link between fees paid to barristers with increases applied under public sector pay agreements. This means that barristers are paid a flat rate, with no provision for inflation or cost of living increases, in contrast to those employed in the public sector. Court hearings will go ahead on July 24th but Solicitors will not have the support of a Barrister(sometimes called a Counsel) on the day.
An increase of 10% in fees was approved by the Government in January 2024 alongside a commitment for a review. The Bar of Ireland, the representative body for the barristers’ profession in Ireland is seeking 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. The Council is also expressing disappointment at what it calls a lack of leadership from the Government in resolving the dispute.
