Legal Aid Fee Change Sparks Crisis | Belfast News

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan is doubling down on the controversial flat fee of 520 euro for criminal legal aid cases, despite widespread backlash from solicitors who’ve pulled out of the scheme, causing court delays and harming victims. To ease tensions, he’s tweaked the payment structure—now two-thirds upfront, the rest after 12 months—and confirmed new certificates for fresh charges, plus a review of the system in children’s courts and high-appearance cases. Withdrawn solicitors can rejoin immediately, while the Law Society prepares to meet with practitioners for further clarity. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/804d7db018e8a559