Solicitors’ firms face overcharging disciplinary inquiry

A DOZEN firms of solicitors are facing a formal disciplinary inquiry over allegations that they overcharged clients who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board.

The Law Society of Ireland confirmed yesterday that it has referred 12 different legal practices to an independent disciplinary tribunal arising out of complaints from 22 individuals who were former residents of industrial schools.

Director general of the Law Society Ken Murphy said a total of 162 complaints had been received to date. However, he also highlighted the fact that the number of solicitors who have been referred to the disciplinary tribunal represented just over one-in-every 200 cases which had come before the RIRB.