Legal aid to include barrister at district level

IN AN important judgment expanding the constitutional right to legal aid for persons facing trial in the District Court for serious criminal offences, the Supreme Court has ruled a Co Kerry farmer is entitled to apply for legal aid to include a barrister as well as a solicitor.

Until now, unless charged with murder, persons facing trial in the District Court had no statutory right to legal representation to include a barrister and could only have legal aid via a solicitor.

The five-judge Supreme Court yesterday upheld claims by Edward Carmody, a Co Kerry farmer charged with 42 offences related to alleged wrongful movement of cattle, he has a constitutional right prior to trial to apply for legal aid to include representation by a barrister as well as a solicitor.