Redress Board - Law Society decision isdisturbing

THE decision of the Law Society not to pursue a complaint of double billing against one of its members, in the case of a victim of child abuse who was made an award through the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB), is very disturbing.

It has chosen to reject the claim made by the survivor of institutional abuse, who had been represented by the solicitor, that he billed her and the RIRB. Inexplicably, it has decided not to refer the matter to its own Disciplinary Tribunal for investigation, despite the fact it has seen fit to do so in previous cases.

The redress board was established four years ago to compensate those who were abused as children while in industrial schools, reformatories and various State institutions.