by Linda McGrory
A JUDGE in Inishowen is tightening up on free legal
aid for defendants in a bid to save the taxpayer
some cash.
Judge Seamus Hughes, who recently took over as
district court judge in Co Donegal, said he would
only grant legal aid to people who genuinely need
it.
He is now asking all local solicitors applying for
legal aid on behalf of their clients, to furnish the
court with statements of their means including
social welfare receipts, p60s and proofs of earnings
from employers on headed notepaper.
Westport-born Judge Hughes told a recent sitting of
Buncrana District Court: "I am obligated to protect
the taxpayer of this country to make sure that the
people who get legal aid are entitled to it. Some
people might think I am being unduly harsh in these
matters, but I certainly won't be giving it to
people who are not entitled to it."
Judge Hughes made his comments in the case of a
part-time construction worker whose solicitor was
asked to produce his client's P60 and proof of
earnings from the beginning of last year, to date,
on his employer's company headed notepaper.
In another case, Judge Hughes asked an out-of-work
quantity surveyor how much savings he had and how
much was currently in his current account. He
adjourned the case and asked the quantity survey to
provide a social welfare receipt for his next
hearing.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, Judge Hughes granted
free legal aid in the case of a defendant in receipt
of disability allowance of €194 a week. |
