Irish criminal lawyers petition EU to intervene over post-2008 pay cuts

The eight-page petition sent to Paolo Gentiloni, the European commissioner for the economy, and seen by our sister publication Irish Legal News appeals to the European Commission to provide “interim and emergency funding […] for the provision of our essential professional legal services”.

Under FEMPI legislation introduced in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Irish lawyers suffered pay cuts ranging from 28.5 per cent to 69 per cent. Although the cuts were referred to as emergency measures, most were not reversed.

The petition states: “We took the hit and shared the burden. We are denied the fruits of our sacrifices. The Irish criminal law system did not cause that financial crisis but is treated as if it did.”

It goes on to argue that Ireland’s failure to adequately fund criminal lawyers constitutes “non-compliance with the rule of law” and should see EU intervention, as has happened in the likes of Poland.

“With ever decreasing spending power and rising taxation (including energy taxation), costs and expenses our sector finds itself, in a situation where, by reason of low but persistent inflation our spending power has been relentlessly depleted,” it concludes.

“The current surge in inflation has brought matters to a head. It has driven our sector to go to the Commission to seek action, relief, and support from the European Union economy commissioner. The Commissioner recently visited Ireland and spoke of the failed policy of austerity applied in 2008 but which remains in force in Ireland.”