Will Jim O’Callaghan back down in solicitors’ pay dispute?

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The four-month dispute between criminal defence solicitors in the free legal aid system and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan took a turn for the worse this week, with an escalation in both action and rhetoric. Solicitors have now withdrawn their services to include people held in custody and cases involving children. As the backlog in the courts grows, the Minister accused protesting solicitors of deliberately targeting rape trials. When that was indignantly denied, O’Callaghan doubled-down…