Several cases adjourned at Mayo court today due to ongoing strike action by local solicitors

Several cases at Castlebar District Court have today been adjourned until July 16 following a solicitor walk-out at the court this week.

Castlebar Solicitor Thomas J Walsh asked for the adjournment of several of his cases, requesting they be put back to July due to the strike.

The adjournments come a day after solicitors Ms. Cathy McDarby, Ms. Aileen Feely, Mr. Dermot Morahan, Mr. Thomas J Walsh and Mr. David Scott told Judge Michael Connellan they would be withdrawing their services before the court.

The five left courtroom 2 after cases involving evidence of arrest, charge and caution were brought before the court after 11 a.m.

Those cases were adjourned en bloc to October 21.

Judge Connellan did hear a number of licencing cases today.

The action is part of a protest by criminal legal aid solicitors that has disrupted court business nationwide, with cases in custody, juvenile and priority sexual offence matters continuing to be heard.

At issue is a Department of Justice plan, due to take effect from July 1, to replace the current per-appearance payment system with a flat fee per client.

Solicitors are currently paid €239.38 for an initial district court appearance and €59.86 for each subsequent hearing, but under the new model a single fee of €455 would apply per client regardless of how many court appearances are required.

Castlebar solicitor Mr. Gary Mulchrone has said the changes could disproportionately affect rural areas, noting cases are often adjourned for reasons well beyond the four or five appearances the department has factored into its model.

The Department of Justice has said the reforms are intended to make the system more efficient and faster, pointing to figures showing criminal legal aid expenditure in the district court has nearly doubled, from €19 million in 2015 to €37 million in 2024, even as case volumes have fallen.

Mr. Mulchrone said, however, that these are “cuts dressed up as reform, and, if they proceed, the changes will result in an exodus of legal practitioners from rural areas.