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Lawyers have been “dismissive or aggressive” when Court staff challenged them for failing to comply with Covid-19 guidelines at work, the Chief Justice of the Superior Court said.
Judge Mary Irvine has written to the Bar to warn that many attorneys are not properly following Covid-19 guidelines and, as a result, are putting the health and livelihoods of their colleagues at risk.
He warned that lawyers who congregate nearby, if photographed, could create “a public scandal.”
In her letter to Maura McNally, President of the Bar, Judge Irvine states that she regrets to say that what many members of the Bar and the attorney profession do not seem to understand is that, while the courts have been considered an essential service , must operate in strict compliance with public health guidelines.
“In recent days I have received several complaints that members of the legal profession are simply not adhering to distance social guidance or indeed the court’s own guidance regarding the use of face coverings. This is not just happening in Dublin, it is happening across the country. And it is disappointing to hear from some members of the Court Service staff who have asked attorneys to meet these requirements, who have at times received a derogatory or aggressive response, “he wrote.
The letter, obtained by the , states that in light of these recent complaints, and strange as it may sound, he made it a point to walk through the Redondo Room and the first and second floor corridors every day this week to observe what is happening.
“Unfortunately, on almost every occasion I have come across groups of practitioners talking / consulting very closely with each other. I would dare to say that there are more practitioners offending than fulfilling their social distancing obligations. In particular, the scene outside of the 29th Court and the Teachers Court on various occasions yesterday, if photographed and published, could have created a public scandal, ”Judge Irvine wrote.
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“Surely, all members of the bar and the legal profession must now understand that their actions have the potential not only to negatively affect their own health and financial well-being, but also to damage, if not destroy, that of their colleagues.” . she asked.
“Trust me, I appreciate how tired everyone is from the changes that we have all had to make as a result of Covid-19. However, I must urge you to do everything you can to convince your members that it is important that they behave in a manner consistent with their obligations to their colleagues and to the legal profession as a whole.
“The executive director has told me that the continuation of current practices, if not remedied in a short time, will force the cessation or a significant reduction of all non-remote hearings,” the judge concluded.
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