'We feel so betrayed': Limerick solicitors to withdraw all criminal legal services

Andrew D’arcy has said people brought before the courts will not be in a position to get their cases concluded, and jurors will potentially be sent away.

Published 1st Jul 2026, 14:00 BST Limerick District Court | LL Andrew D’arcy has said people brought before the courts will not be in a position to get their cases concluded, and jurors will potentially be sent away. Sign up to our Limerick Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Limerick Live within your account.

The Limerick Solicitors Bar Association have announced the withdrawal of all legal services amidst an ongoing dispute between criminal law solicitors and the Department of Justice regarding legal aid reforms.

The reform include the introduction of a flat fee for legal aid cases in the District Court instead of a fee for each appearance in the District Court.

President of the Limerick Solicitors Bar Association, Andrew D’arcy, said in a letter to the department: “This decision was taken after much consideration and was not taken hastily or lightly but is taken in the context of the Minister for Justice's unilateral introduction of a flat fee scheme for criminal legal aid cases to come into effect as of the 1st of July 2026.”

Andrew D’arcy, speaking to Limerick Live, has said the new reform will have a “catastrophic” effect on criminal cases, and will result in job losses in legal firms.

Mr D’arcy said: “There hasn’t been any meaningful engagement with the Law Society by the minister”.

He believes “The Department of Justice doesn’t seem to be au fait with the system they want to reform,” and that the Law Society of Ireland have been treated with “disdain” by the department.

READ MORE: Limerick solicitors slam minister’s plan to reform legal aid scheme

The President of the Limerick Solicitors Bar Association said that no document has been sent by the department to solicitors outlining the new rates of pay, or which particular cases the new system will apply to - despite the new system being scheduled to come into effect today, July 1.

Speaking on the effects the withdrawal will have on the courts service, Mr Darcy said people brought before the courts will not be in a position to get their cases concluded, and jurors will potentially be sent away.

Mr D’arcy said solicitors in the main will withdraw legal services, however, the choice to do so will rest on each individual legal professional.

In the context of unrestored pay cuts following the 2008 crash, Mr D’arcy said the solicitors he represents “feel so betrayed.”

He further stated the actions of the Department of Justice feel “like a kick in the face”.

The proposed new flat fee for district court legal aid cases - which is not yet officially confirmed by the department - is set to be a flat fee of €520 euro.

The previous legal aid system granted a flat-fee of €239.38 for a person’s first appearance in court, with a further payment of €59.86 for each appearance thereafter.

The Law Society of Ireland have pushed back on the reform, stating: “It is our understanding that solicitors from across the country are resigning from criminal legal aid panels. This will have a devastating impact on access to justice.”

“The people who will pay the price are victims of crime, who will see trials delayed, as well as some of the most vulnerable in society. They are children in trouble for the first time. They are people struggling with addiction or serious mental health conditions. They are people who are homeless, victims of trafficking, and people in acute crisis.”

“It is astounding that the Department of Justice has failed to create exemptions for particularly vulnerable groups – and categories of cases where the length of proceedings is known to be considerably longer. This includes cases involving children, where the court exercises a more supervisory, rehabilitative type role. And it includes involving people with mental health or capacity issues, where fitness to plead issues can arise. These cases almost always require additional time, additional appearances and patient, repeated engagement with a solicitor - none of which is factored into this proposal.”