Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 137:

In page 92, to delete lines 28 and 29.

This relates to the chief legal costs adjudicator and the wish to have a pro-consumer element in this. It says at subsection (b) that the adjudicator will not operate where "the adjudication relates to an application for adjudication of legal costs as between a legal practitioner and his or her client". That is the opt-out clause. I would have thought that from the consumer point of view that is when we want the chief legal costs adjudicator to adjudicate on legal costs between a legal practitioner and his or her client. If we are not going to apply it here, where is the adjudication to apply? That is part of the earlier problem we referred to, the fear that clients have that legal bills get out of control. The word "unless" used here withdraws the ability of a client to go to the chief legal costs adjudicator.