Judge Cody asked that in the absence of advice from a free legal aid solicitor if she would like him to procced in dealing with her case.

A JUDGE commended a defendant’s legal knowledge before using his case as an example that “75 per cent of the adjournments in this court” were the fault of the state, and not solicitors protesting legal aid changes, as is being widely suggested.

At Monday’s sitting (yesterday),  solicitors Josephine Fitzpatrick and Barry Fitzgerald told Judge Susan Fay that they were withdrawing their services under the free legal aid scheme, except for custody and juvenile cases.

Many solicitors in Co Laois have withdrawn their services and will not be attending special sittings of the court.