Dublin courts confront mounting case backlog amid legal aid dispute

The Oireachtas justice committee will hear from the Bar Council of Ireland and the Law Society about a worsening backlog in Dublin’s criminal courts. Lawyers argue that the dispute with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan over a new legal-aid payment model has left many defendants without timely representation. The Bar Council highlighted Dublin as a “particular challenge” given the sheer number of cases, while the Law Society warned that the new term beginning in October will bring a surge of long-duration trials.

Both groups say the impasse is already impacting trial schedules and sentencing hearings, undermining confidence in the justice system. Solicitors have called for an independent mediator and for two unresolved issues to be addressed: the treatment of multiple charges on the same day and the lack of mechanisms for extended cases. The minister maintains the previous system was prone to abuse, but lawyers reject his claim that further talks must wait for a pending judicial review.