Overwatch Report

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Invitation to The Bar of Ireland's International Women's Day conference

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Lynn Ruane', 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Revised Guidance on submission of counsels' fee notes & removal of temporary reduction in counsel fees

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Maria Browne', 'role': 'Chief State Solicitor (The Office of the Chief State Solicitor)'} {'name': 'Damien Moloney', 'role': 'Director General (The Office of the Attorney General)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Restoration of Professional Fees - Criminal Legal Aid

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Carole Sullivan', 'role': 'Director (Department of Justice)'} {'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'} {'name': "Adrian O'Higgins", 'role': 'Special Advisor (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Suzanne Coogan', 'role': 'Press Adviser (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Andrew Munro', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Support for Afghan Judges

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Implementation of LSRA Barrier's Report Recommendations

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Dr. Brian Doherty', 'role': 'Chief Executive Officer (Legal Services Regulatory Authority)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] EU Migration & Asylum Pact

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Andrew Munro', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Doncha O’Sullivan', 'role': 'Deputy Secretary (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Review of ODPP Rules Relating to Payment of Fees to Counsel

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Marion Berry', 'role': 'Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions)'} {'name': 'Helena Kiely', 'role': 'Chief Prosecution Solicitor (The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Civil Legal Aid

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Andrew Munro', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Justice)'} {'name': "Adrian O'Higgins", 'role': 'Special Advisor (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Suzanne Coogan', 'role': 'Press Adviser (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Carole Sullivan', 'role': 'Director (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Circuit Appeals to the High Court and listing in the Legal Diary

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Angela Denning', 'role': 'Chief Executive Officer (The Courts Service)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Continued application of an 8% reduction to the professional fees of counsel instructed by the CSSO

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Jack Chambers', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Request for Civil Legal Aid Review to be prioritised in the work of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs & Migration

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Matt Carthy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Enhancing Civil Legal Aid Access

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Criminal Legal Aid - Restoration of Professional Fees paid to barristers

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'} {'name': "Adrian O'Higgins", 'role': 'Special Advisor (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Matt Carthy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Engagement with the ODPP on various matters in relation to the engagement of Counsel to prosecute cases on behalf of the ODPP

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Marion Berry', 'role': 'Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Review of DOJ Criminal Legal Aid Scheme

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Carole Sullivan', 'role': 'Director (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Restoration of Professional Fees - Criminal Legal Aid

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'} {'name': "Adrian O'Higgins", 'role': 'Special Advisor (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Carole Sullivan', 'role': 'Director (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Family Justice Strategy Implementation Group to implement Family Courts Act 2024

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Legal Aid Board payment difficulties

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Joan Crawford', 'role': 'Chief Executive Officer (The Legal Aid Board)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] LSRA Barrier's Report implementation

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Tony Watson', 'role': 'Acting Chief Executive Officer (Legal Services Regulatory Authority)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Implementation of Judicial Planning Working Group Report

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Stjohn O'Connor", 'role': 'Director (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Family Courts Bill 2022

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Letter All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'https://www.lawlibrary.ie/familycourtsbill/'} {'name': 'Submission All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'https://www.lawlibrary.ie/familycourtsbill/'} {'name': 'Barry Ward', 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'} {'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Patrick Costello', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Pa Daly', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 9 more

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Ongoing application of cuts to the professional fees of Counsel instructed by the Chief State Solicitors Office (CSSO)

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Maria Browne', 'role': 'Chief State Solicitor (The Office of the Chief State Solicitor)'} {'name': 'Damien Moloney', 'role': 'Director General (The Office of the Attorney General)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Meeting with Legal Aid Board to discuss matters of concern to the Bar including Family Courts Bill 2022,Review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme, Review of Professional Fees payable to barristers under the 2012 T&C, Operational aspects of Legal Aid Board scheme

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Joan Crawford', 'role': 'Chief Executive Officer (The Legal Aid Board)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Review of Criminal Legal Aid Scheme

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Carole Sullivan', 'role': 'Acting Assistant Secretary (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] IPO Case Processing Panel and

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Richard Dixon', 'role': 'Director of Services or Equivalent (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Implementation of Budget 2024 outcome on criminal legal scheme

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Yvonne Furey', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Justice)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Professional Fees paid to barristers instructed by the CSSO/AG Office

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Maria Browne', 'role': 'Chief State Solicitor (The Office of the Chief State Solicitor)'} {'name': 'Damien Moloney', 'role': 'Director General (The Office of the Attorney General)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Advancement of the review of the criminal legal aid scheme and restoration of professional fees paid to barristers

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Carole Sullivan', 'role': 'Acting Assistant Secretary (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Helen McEntee', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Catherine Pierse', 'role': 'Director of Public Prosecutions (The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions)'} {'name': 'Maria Browne', 'role': 'Chief State Solicitor (The Office of the Chief State Solicitor)'} {'name': 'Damien Moloney', 'role': 'Director General (The Office of the Attorney General)'} {'name': 'Paschal Donohoe', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'}

Council of The Bar of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Mechanism to address professional fees paid to barristers who practice in criminal law by the Director of Public Prosecutions and under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Scheme.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Letter All Oireachtas Members', 'role': ''} {'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': ''} {'name': 'Catherine Pierse', 'role': 'Director of Public Prosecutions (The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions)'} {'name': 'Marion Berry', 'role': 'Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions)'} {'name': 'Oonagh McPhillips', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Justice)'} {'name': "John O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Deputy Secretary (Department of Justice)'} + 2 more

Council of The Bar of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] ODPP Strategy Statement

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Catherine Pierse', 'role': 'Director of Public Prosecutions (The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions)'}

Lobbying Tracker

Most Lobbied TDs