On the morning of Wednesday, July 22, 2026, as criminal defence solicitors across Ireland withdrew their services from the District, Circuit and Central Criminal Courts for two days, Newstalk Breakfast invited Ferrys Solicitors partner Tony Collier to explain the dispute to a national audience. Our criminal defence solicitors represent clients at every stage of criminal proceedings, from Garda station advice through District Court hearings.
The programme introduced the segment by noting that the withdrawal arose from changes to the legal aid payment system introduced by the Minister for Justice, and that Mr Collier, a partner at Ferrys, was joining the presenter to discuss it.
Ferrys' message to the public
Mr Collier's role throughout the dispute has been to explain, on behalf of Dublin's criminal legal aid solicitors, why the action is happening and what would end it. His publicly stated position at the time of the broadcast was:
The scheme introduced on July 1 pays a flat €520 per client regardless of the number of charges or court appearances, replacing payment per appearance. It was imposed without meaningful negotiation with the Law Society.
Solicitors are expected to represent clients with no guarantee of payment proportionate to the duration of the case or the volume of charges, and payment arrives only when the case ends.
The decision to shut down cases at the Criminal Courts of Justice was taken with "great regret". Every solicitor would much prefer to be in court representing clients, but that is not possible under the new scheme.
The solicitors and the Law Society are available at any time to meet the Minister and work towards agreement. The Minister's intransigence is the obstacle.
Why the broadcast mattered
Much of the public commentary on the dispute had focused on fees. Ferrys has consistently tried to move the conversation to what the scheme means for the people the firm represents: clients who cannot afford a solicitor, many with addiction or mental health difficulties, whose cases need more court time than a flat fee can cover. A withdrawal of services means those clients go unrepresented, victims wait longer, and backlogs grow.
The stoppage ran on July 22 and 23, with three further days planned for the following week.