The move to Level 3 of the Framework for living with Covid-19 and the appropriate restrictions which come into effect from midnight the 1st December 2020, will have an effect on the conduct of business within the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicators.
The overarching responsibility to protect staff and users of the Office alike, is paramount.
The Office will be closed to members of the public, save by prior appointment.
Telephones will operate as normal during office hours, email, post, Dx and Drop Box facilities will likewise operate as normal. Email, correspondence and telephone inquiries will continue to be dealt with along normal lines.
The e-filing platform for the lodgment of Applications for Adjudication will continue to operate as normal through CSOL for registered users.
The remote call over, which is held each Thursday at 9.30am, will continue to take place. This will call over cases listed for the following week. Any applications concerning matters listed for the following week will be dealt with. Dial in details will be made available to parties on request
In those cases, which are deemed unsuitable for a remote hearing, the parties will be offered a physical hearing date. Given the requirement to operate hearings in a safe manner for practitioners and the staff of the Office, the resumption of physical hearings will be on a limited basis only. The parties will be assigned hearing dates with staggered hearing times, by the Legal Costs Adjudicator concerned. Parties are requested to have given some reasonable thought to the likely length of time required and to be in a position to make submissions in this regard to the Legal Costs Adjudicator concerned. parties should also be mindful of the fact that no consultation room facilities are available and parties are not permitted to be within the Office, unless by arrangement.
In those cases, which may be suitable for a remote hearing, the parties will be offered a remote hearing, where, and only where, the parties are legally represented.
The Legal Costs Adjudicator having seisin of the matter, shall have sole discretion to determine the suitability of cases for remote hearing and the right to terminate such hearings in the event that the process cannot be undertaken fairly or may have the potential to impede due process or the application of the provisions of the Legal Services Regulation Act, 2015.
The Legal Costs Adjudicator concerned will issue the appropriate directions to the parties, which can only be decided on a case by case basis, having heard submissions from the parties.
Parties and their legal representatives are asked to closely monitor the Legal Diary and the Courts Service website for greater detail concerning all lists.
Paul M Behan
Chief Legal Costs Adjudicator
Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicators
The High Court
Merchants House
27/30 Merchants Quay
Dublin 8