- First review in the 43 year history of the Scheme.
- Review Group to be chaired by retired Chief Justice.
- Significant consultation to be undertaken as part of the review.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee, T.D., has updated Government this week on her plans to shortly commence a review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme, as committed to in her Justice Plan, 2022.
Announcing the review, Minister McEntee said: “Since the Civil Legal Aid Scheme was first established 43 years ago, (1979), Irish society has changed and the demands on the Scheme have grown.
To provide maximum benefit to the people it was first established to serve, within the finite resources available to fund legal aid, I believe that a robust, comprehensive review of the Scheme as committed to in Justice Plan 2022 is an important step.
The review will allow for an assessment of how well access to justice is facilitated by our Civil Legal Aid Scheme, particularly for those on low incomes. The Review Group will make recommendations for its future, including in relation to eligibility”.
The Review Group will be Chaired by retired Chief Justice, Frank Clarke, with membership drawn from those who work with marginalised groups, legal practitioners, academics, Department officials and representatives from the Legal Aid Board, which administers the current Scheme.
Named Membership of the Review Group will include:
Mr. Thomas O’Mahony – Legal Aid Board nominee.
Ms. Sara Phelan SC – Bar of Ireland nominee.
Ms. Áine Hynes – Law Society nominee.
Mr. Bernard Joyce – Director of the Irish Traveller Movement.
Mr. Liam Coen – Department of Justice nominee.
Professor Niamh Hourigan – Sociologist and VP of Academic Affairs – Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
Mr. Tom O’Malley – Senior Lecturer in Law, NUI Galway.
Professor Frances Ruane – Economist and former Director of the ESRI.
Ms. Eilis Barry – Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC).
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform nominee – name TBC.
The Minister also highlighted how people will be able to have their say on this important issue; stating: “As part of the review process, I intend that there will be significant consultation to ensure that the insights of a range of stakeholders regarding the operation of the scheme – and how best to support those of limited means with legal needs – will inform the work of the Review Group.
Capturing the views of those who have unmet legal needs will be an important part of the Group’s consultation and engagement. One of the areas which will be considered in the review is eligibility for civil legal aid.
Ultimately the review should map out a future for the Civil Legal Aid Scheme; one which will provide for a flexible service that has, as far as possible, the capacity and resources to respond to the priority legal assistance needs of those of modest means.”
I will be launching a public consultation in the coming weeks and I encourage as many people as possible to participate and to have their say on this important matter”.
The Review Group is expected to commence its work in June 2022, for a period of 12 months. It will make periodic reports to Minister McEntee on the progress of its work, before submitting its final report once its work is fully completed.
The Review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme is part of a broader civil justice reform programme the Minister is spearheading across her Justice Plan 2022, including the establishment of a dedicated family court structure; the finalisation of the first national strategy on family justice; an independently chaired Judicial Planning Working Group, which is examining the number and type of judges needed over the next five years to ensure access to justice; and the Implementation Plan on Civil Justice Efficiencies and Reform Measures, which the Minister published last week.
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