> A man who worked as a taxi driver and in a hospital before becoming a barrister has said that his pay is now lower than before he joined the bar.
> Darren Lalor was one of the organisers of a protest last week against the low rates of pay for District Court barristers around the country.
> The protest, outside the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, was the second demonstration about the issue in the past two months.
> Mr Lalor said their concerns have been raised with Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
> He told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘The minister is aware of what we are looking for, which is the unwinding of the cuts and for direct professional recognition from the State. In the District Courts we don’t get that because we get instructed by solicitors.’
> Barristers receive €25.20 for a remand hearing, €50.40 for a plea in mitigation at a sentence, and €67.50 for a full hearing.
> According to the Bar of Ireland, under austerity-era public service pay cuts, fees paid to barristers practising criminal law on behalf of the State were cut by between 28.5% and 69%.
> Mr Lalor said low pay and record inflation have left some barristers struggling to pay their bills.
> ‘When they unwind the cuts, then they have to bring it in line with where we are at the moment with inflation. We’re suffering the brunt of something we didn’t cause,’ he said of the pay cuts.
> He added: ‘I’m 50 this year. I’m a junior member of the bar since 2015. I went back to school in my late 30s. I had no Inter Cert or Leaving Cert. I drove a taxi before I came down here. Then I worked in a hospital when I was studying for King’s Inns and I’m on the lowest pay I’ve ever been on.
> ‘My insurance has to be paid now. I think it is €350. Then we pay office space, the Law Library fees. The price of everything is going up but we are still where we are.’
> Mr Lalor said the mood at the protest was ‘very positive’ with senior barristers supporting their junior colleagues. He didn’t rule out more protests in future.
> ‘We are regrouping at the moment to see what our next step is. We will be writing to the minister again,’ he said.
> The Department of Justice said: ‘The reversal of FEMPI [Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest] cuts to Criminal Legal Aid fees is being considered by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.’
Jesus. Can’t wait to get a taxi again and wait until the driver starts bitching about there being no money in it. I can tell him that he gets paid more than a barrister.
Ah it’s himself! Legend.
He’s right. Barristers are independent practitioners and most make nothing. I think the figure I’ve heard is 50% drop out after 5 years once they get enough experience to go in house. Of the remainder, another huge chunk drop out after an additional two years.
Only those with wealthy parents stand a better chance than most, who usually have to work doing lectures or bar work. One of the associate counsels on my team that I hired told me he made €50 as a barrister one week. I’d imagine criminal practitioners make less.
From what I recall, Ireland has the lowest justice spending in Europe. Time to let them organise into chambers if they cannot find a solution. The poorly pads criminal work is becoming a huge issue in the UK also.
The junior lads get screwed right enough. I’d imagine it’s a sneaky attempt to keep the non wealthy out of the profession. Same with the whole devilling craic.
I don’t know why this is downvoted, I’m no champion of the legal profession by any measure but if accurate, this:
“Barristers receive €25.20 for a remand hearing, €50.40 for a plea in mitigation at a sentence, and €67.50 for a full hearing.”
is clearly not enough renumeration, I know there’s less to it at District Court levels but these are professionals, with lengthy studies and training undertaken, they deserve commensurate payment.
Boo fucking who , scummy job for scummy pay
I’m not in the legal profession so I might be off on the exact terms but I was told last month that juniors used to get a few small fees a day (I think the term was day fees???) to do minor work mentioning a case in the High Court. Whole exercise was sort of make work but served a function in that it gave juniors some experience and earned them a bit of money (we’re talking €40 a mention or something like that).
With remote court hearings brought in during covid there’s no need for pay juniors for this and this service and the Courts Service is adamant that it’s not dropping remote hearings. So juniors are basically screwed because the old funding model is gone.
7 comments
> A man who worked as a taxi driver and in a hospital before becoming a barrister has said that his pay is now lower than before he joined the bar.
> Darren Lalor was one of the organisers of a protest last week against the low rates of pay for District Court barristers around the country.
> The protest, outside the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, was the second demonstration about the issue in the past two months.
> Mr Lalor said their concerns have been raised with Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
> He told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘The minister is aware of what we are looking for, which is the unwinding of the cuts and for direct professional recognition from the State. In the District Courts we don’t get that because we get instructed by solicitors.’
> Barristers receive €25.20 for a remand hearing, €50.40 for a plea in mitigation at a sentence, and €67.50 for a full hearing.
> According to the Bar of Ireland, under austerity-era public service pay cuts, fees paid to barristers practising criminal law on behalf of the State were cut by between 28.5% and 69%.
> Mr Lalor said low pay and record inflation have left some barristers struggling to pay their bills.
> ‘When they unwind the cuts, then they have to bring it in line with where we are at the moment with inflation. We’re suffering the brunt of something we didn’t cause,’ he said of the pay cuts.
> He added: ‘I’m 50 this year. I’m a junior member of the bar since 2015. I went back to school in my late 30s. I had no Inter Cert or Leaving Cert. I drove a taxi before I came down here. Then I worked in a hospital when I was studying for King’s Inns and I’m on the lowest pay I’ve ever been on.
> ‘My insurance has to be paid now. I think it is €350. Then we pay office space, the Law Library fees. The price of everything is going up but we are still where we are.’
> Mr Lalor said the mood at the protest was ‘very positive’ with senior barristers supporting their junior colleagues. He didn’t rule out more protests in future.
> ‘We are regrouping at the moment to see what our next step is. We will be writing to the minister again,’ he said.
> The Department of Justice said: ‘The reversal of FEMPI [Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest] cuts to Criminal Legal Aid fees is being considered by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.’
Jesus. Can’t wait to get a taxi again and wait until the driver starts bitching about there being no money in it. I can tell him that he gets paid more than a barrister.
Ah it’s himself! Legend.
He’s right. Barristers are independent practitioners and most make nothing. I think the figure I’ve heard is 50% drop out after 5 years once they get enough experience to go in house. Of the remainder, another huge chunk drop out after an additional two years.
Only those with wealthy parents stand a better chance than most, who usually have to work doing lectures or bar work. One of the associate counsels on my team that I hired told me he made €50 as a barrister one week. I’d imagine criminal practitioners make less.
From what I recall, Ireland has the lowest justice spending in Europe. Time to let them organise into chambers if they cannot find a solution. The poorly pads criminal work is becoming a huge issue in the UK also.
The junior lads get screwed right enough. I’d imagine it’s a sneaky attempt to keep the non wealthy out of the profession. Same with the whole devilling craic.
I don’t know why this is downvoted, I’m no champion of the legal profession by any measure but if accurate, this:
“Barristers receive €25.20 for a remand hearing, €50.40 for a plea in mitigation at a sentence, and €67.50 for a full hearing.”
is clearly not enough renumeration, I know there’s less to it at District Court levels but these are professionals, with lengthy studies and training undertaken, they deserve commensurate payment.
Boo fucking who , scummy job for scummy pay
I’m not in the legal profession so I might be off on the exact terms but I was told last month that juniors used to get a few small fees a day (I think the term was day fees???) to do minor work mentioning a case in the High Court. Whole exercise was sort of make work but served a function in that it gave juniors some experience and earned them a bit of money (we’re talking €40 a mention or something like that).
With remote court hearings brought in during covid there’s no need for pay juniors for this and this service and the Courts Service is adamant that it’s not dropping remote hearings. So juniors are basically screwed because the old funding model is gone.