Irish Bar Council Chief Responds To Competition Authority Report

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

15 April 2003

Chairman of the Bar Council of Ireland, Conor Maguire SC has hit back at criticisms of the Irish legal profession contained within a recent Competition Authority review.

Published in March, the study - which also looked at competition with regard to other groups of professionals, including engineers, architects, medical practitioners, vets, dentists, and optometrists - suggested that in the Irish legal sector, advertising restrictions, the prohibition of multi-disciplinary practices, restrictions in organisational structure, and the monopoly held by the Law Society and the King's Inns on the provision of professional training all acted as barriers to competition.

However, speaking to the Legal Week news service, Mr Maguire questioned the evaluation of the profession solely in economic terms:

'We are dealing with fundamental rights, and the concepts of justice and fair play should not be overtaken by economic considerations alone,' he announced, continuing: 'When it comes to our service, people's liberty and rights are often on the line.'

The Bar Council head also defended the requirement that barristers in Ireland should act as sole traders, arguing that:

'Independence is critical, especially in the smaller market that Irish barristers operate within. If you lose your professional independence, you cannot offer proper, impartial advice. You cannot afford to become a slave to the clients that engage your services. Ultimately, our structures stimulate competition, as clients, regardlesss of their location or means, can retain the services of the best barristers.'

Recommended