A Mayo View: The wheels of our courts services must be allowed to start turning properly again

It is an ironic state of affairs that a legal system designed to find solutions to problems has ended up creating a right old mess of our courts.

Justice delayed is justice denied as thousands of pending cases are left in limbo due to a long-running, entrenched dispute over legal aid fees paid to solicitors.

And while the initial intention of Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, a barrister and senior counsel himself, may have been to save the State some money in fees paid to solicitors, the stand-off has, in all honesty, spiralled into a complete embarrassment which undermines the very core and principles of how our courts services operate.

An unprecedented situation has arisen whereby judges and solicitors are at loggerheads as cases are being adjourned ad nauseum.

Such a breakdown in relationships is very worrying and will take some time to repair as the workload of judges piles higher and higher as every court sitting passes by.

The purpose of this assessment is not to apportion blame but merely to point out that both sides have a professional responsibility to resolve it in the public's interest.

It is not a good look that the country's courts are being effectively held to ransom by people on both sides coached in the skills of wise communication, decisive deliberation and problem solving.

In other words, they should do a lot better and get on with the task of reaching a solution so that our wheels of justice can start turning properly once again.