The Chair of the Bar Council, Seán Guerin, has emphasised that the significant contribution of autonomous barristers to the justice system and the public welfare, should not be overcast with the establishment of new legal partnerships, also known as “one-stop shops” for the provision of legal services. Seán Guerin, who represents over 2,000 members of the Law Library, gave his reaction to the newly implemented business structure within legal services.
For the first instance in Ireland, solicitors have been authorised to forge partnerships with barristers to provide legal services, and barristers can establish legal service partnerships between themselves. Up to this point, only solicitors were permitted to create partnerships among themselves.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee conveyed that this new professional model could potentially broaden professional possibilities for legal practitioners, and provide a service to clients that is more adaptable and economical.
An Ipsos B&A survey for the Legal Services Regulatory Agency (LSRA) disclosed that out of 231 senior lawyers, 20% predicted their firm would likely evolve into a solicitor-barrister partnership in the forthcoming five years.
On Thursday, Mr Guerin lauded the 27 new senior counsels, that were presented by the Chief Justice, Donal O’Donnell, during a ceremony at the Supreme Court. Out of these 27, nine were women and 18 were men. This expansion has raised the total number of senior counsels to 389, with women representing 21%.
Mr Guerin referred to the summons to the Inner Bar, often known as ‘taking silk’, as an acknowledgement of a barrister’s exceptional legal proficiency, professional accomplishments, and contributions to the legal community, signalling a highly significant point in their career. He maintained that senior counsels carry out a vital function in upholding the rule of law and enhancing the social and economic framework of the State.
The establishment of legal partnerships ought not to shadow the significant role that the independent referral Bar continues to play, he stated. The cornerstone of justice access, the public good in Ireland, and justice administration support, it imbues the emblematic Bar values of unmatched learning and advocacy, total autonomy, and readiness to represent any client abiding by the ‘cab-rank rule’. As professionals, we take immense pride in this tradition.