Judge again urges O’Callaghan and solicitors to resolve legal aid case between them

The withdrawal by many criminal defence solicitors from legal aid services seems set to continue unless the Minister for Justice agrees to engagement with a view to resolving the dispute over a new payment model. That was the message on Tuesday from solicitor sources after the Minister, Jim O’Callaghan, and solicitors were both reminded by a High Court judge that her colleague had urged them to try and “use their own endeavours” to resolve a legal challenge to the new model.