Shatter: Legal reforms will lower costs

The Justice Minister Alan Shatter has said new reforms of the legal professions will drive costs down.

Mr Shatter has announced a new Legal Services Bill as promised in the Programme for Government and as a commitment in the Troika bailout deal.

A new independent Regulatory Authority will be established and people seeking legal advice will have to be given clear costs.

It will also see greater competition with people able to access barristers directly without seeking the advice of a solicitor first.