Murder plot sentencing halted after lawyers walk out over fee dispute

A man who confessed to plotting a killing was left without a barrister at the Central Criminal Court because solicitors are refusing to work over a legal aid pay row.

Murder plot sentencing halted after lawyers walk out over fee dispute

A planned sentencing for a fatal conspiracy was put on hold at Ireland's highest criminal court after the defendant was abandoned by his legal team amid an industrial action over state-paid fees.

Jason Dunne, aged 35 and from Cedarbrook Place in Ballyfermot, had already admitted his part in a scheme to kill Thomas McDonnell at Cookstown Cottages, Tallaght, during a five-day window in late 2021. He was due to learn his punishment, but no advocate stood beside him when the matter was called.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott, presiding at the Central Criminal Court, voiced sharp disapproval of the walk-out. He recalled that in the past, lawyers seeking to exit a case had to petition the bench for approval first. That protocol was ignored here and in other matters on the same list.

The bench stressed it could not allow the administration of justice to be frozen indefinitely. While willing to postpone Dunne's hearing temporarily, the judge warned that victims and their relatives cannot be left in limbo while the profession and the state quarrel over money.

He urged those on strike to think carefully about their professional obligations under legal-aid contracts, suggesting they should only decline instructions when genuine, defensible reasons exist. He also noted that halting representation midway through proceedings is more damaging than withdrawing before a trial starts.

Earlier that morning, several counsel told the court they had dropped briefs for jury trials set to open the following week. The judge granted adjournments, but made clear his patience has limits. Complainants and grieving families, he said, deserve the certainty of knowing their cases will be heard.

Dunne remains in custody awaiting a new date for his punishment.

Source: The Journal

Source: TheJournal.ie