Judge forced to postpone six rape trials as defence lawyers quit over legal aid fees

On Monday, Judge Paul McDermott of the Central Criminal Court announced that six rape and sexual-offence trials had to be adjourned because defence solicitors, largely in Dublin, withdrew their legal-aid services in protest of a new flat-fee payment model. The judge said he felt “obliged” or “coerced” to postpone the cases, which are now rescheduled for October 27, to avoid forcing accused persons to defend themselves and potentially cross-examine vulnerable complainants.

The €520 flat fee, applied regardless of case complexity or number of appearances, was introduced on July 1 and has led to the suspension of thousands of criminal proceedings across all court levels. McDermott stressed that solicitors cannot simply abandon a case without court approval and warned that long-running cases risk further delay. The dispute also coincides with a work-to-rule action by Courts Service staff, which has reduced capacity in venues such as the Dolphin House family court complex, compounding delays in domestic-violence and custody hearings. Officials blame the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan’s lack of meaningful dialogue for the escalation.