Legal

‘Few practise law for fun, fame or philanthropy’: Ireland’s legal costs problem

Crippling legal costs in Ireland have been the subject of six major reports in the past 20 years, but in some cases eye-watering fees actually represent value for money

The issue of legal costs in general is so contentious that it has been the subject of six major reports over the last two decades

It’s been years since Peter Kelly, the former president of the High Court, said that the only people who can litigate in the court are “paupers and millionaires”.

But the cost of litigation continues to dominate debate about Ireland’s legal system, including recently featuring top of a list of issues the European Commission criticised in a report.

The issue of legal costs in general is so contentious that it has been the subject of six ...