Terms of reference are being prepared for a review of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) to consider any changes necessary to ensure the Irish legal system “remains modern, efficient, digitally enabled and focused on serving the needs of the public”, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said.
It will draw on a comprehensive statutory review submitted last year by the authority.
O’Callaghan was speaking at an event in Dublin on Wednesday evening marking 10 years since the establishment of the LSRA, the first independent regulator of legal professionals here.
In that time it had delivered “practical reforms that supported transparency, accountability and high professional standards”, the Minister told an audience of judges, lawyers and academics.
The Chief Justice, Donal O’Donnell, noted that the LSRA’s establishment was “not universally welcomed” at the time, with some arguing it was not necessary in light of self-regulation of the professions.
He disagreed with that view, and believes an independent system of regulation was important. The LSRA has proven to be a “good and useful example” of good regulation informed by an understanding of the legal professions.
Attorney General Rossa Fanning said there had been “limited” take-up of an option to become solicitor-barrister partnerships, an option available since 2024.
While survey evidence commissioned by the LSRA had appeared to suggest some appetite for the reform, the LSRA’s register currently lists only two barrister-solicitor partnerships.
The limited uptake suggests the appeal of the independent referral Bar has endured and that the market continued to value the independence, flexibility and specialist skill of the full-time advocate, he said.
Niamh Muldoon, chief executive of the LSRA, said during its first decade the authority established an independent complaints service, introduced new regulatory structures and supported greater transparency in how legal services were provided.
However, during a panel discussion, Noeline Blackwell, human rights lawyer and campaigner, said people continued to face obstacles in accessing the legal system, including a 12-month wait for civil legal aid.
While the Courts Service has made a lot of innovative improvements, the system remained very hard to understand, she said. It is run “for the benefit of the lawyers”, including having many people attend court from early morning when their case may not be dealt with for hours, she said.
There are people whose rights are not being protected because of the structures that have been built, she said. “We could do a lot better.”