Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Master of the High Court referred to what he described as an abuse of privilege. He referred to the use of mumbo jumbo by lawyers of the "it's the law, you wouldn't understand" variety to keep a client at bay or to seek to over-complicate issues, perhaps to justify a higher fee. There is a certain amount of mumbo jumbo associated with all professions but access to justice and certainly access to the courts can be an intimidating prospect for many citizens. People who never expected to find themselves in courts, and did not particularly want to, find the court environment intimidating. It is mysterious to the average citizen when the barrister, with whom a relationship of some kind has been established, must run away to present in a different court. The game playing that goes on in the round hall mesmerises ordinary people. It would be no harm if the Bar Library and the Law Society came further in understanding that the days when the professions lorded it over the average citizen are gone and there is no need for the mystique and mystery that surrounds the process. The citizen is paying for it either through taxes or directly in fees. If citizens could get an intelligible, accessible service that they could understand, delivered in a fashion they could understand, they would have a higher perception of the profession.

The profession has behaved honourably, by and large. I commend those who have done work in the public interest for no payment. It is regrettable that there have been instances that threatened to damage people's confidence in the profession. It is timely that the House addresses that subject.

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