Legal Aid Board urged to reverse family law move

Senior barristers have demanded the Legal Aid Board immediately reverse a decision that would impact on family law cases, including the possibility of adding to already lengthy waiting lists.

The Legal Aid Board announced it would restrict, to priority matters only, referrals to the family law panel of the Private Practitioner District Court Panel, describing it as a temporary measure until the end of the year in an effort to control the budget.

The Council of the Bar of Ireland said the move would very negatively impact those most in need of assistance and its chairman Paul McGarry SC said the decision needed to be immediately reversed.