The Legal Services Regulatory Authority in Ireland indicates in its latest report that there are more individuals joining the legal sector, even though high legal expenses remain a worry. The authority disclosed signs of difficulties in employing and retaining solicitors and worries over the availability of senior barristers to handle criminal cases. The report published on Wednesday of last week shared statistics on the quantities of individuals trained as barristers and solicitors last year and looked into associated matters, such as legal fees.
According to the report, there has been a continuous increase in the amount of people pursuing professional training in the legal field and a prominent rise in the number of newcomers to both occupations. The count of practicing barristers is now 3,051 in Ireland, a 3 per cent rise, with solicitors increasing by 2% to 11,871.
Issues about high legal and litigation expenses continue to be emphasised by the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council and others, as stated in the report. As per a study concluded this year by Indecon International Consultants, these costs were deemed “significant” and it was found that the costs vary depending on the settlement route. The report also noted that Indecon found insufficient data on legal costs in Ireland, making it challenging to determine exact costs. Throughout last year, 120 out of 1,290 complaints made to the authorities cited concerns about excessive costs.
In response to these claims, both the Law Society and the Bar Council contested that the majority of litigants do not find costs to be excessive or unreasonable. Others, such as the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, argued that proper funding for the legal aid system is essential to maintain access to justice.
Last year, the Law Society’s Professional Practice Course registered 561 novice solicitors, with 90% being 30 years old or younger, and 57% were female. Like preceding years, over 80% of these up-and-coming trainees secured internships with Dublin-based legal firms for their two-year in-house training, demonstrating the major role the capital and larger law firms play in the legal services industry. Over 20% of working solicitors last year operated in the public or corporate “in-house” sector.
Proposed reforms by the regulatory body suggest that significant alterations are set to revolutionise legal practitioner education in the country. These reforms, recommended to the Minister for Justice, are incorporated in the action plan for 2023, which entails introducing an independent supervisory system for the first time and lifting impediments to becoming a solicitor or barrister.