Garda Station Legal Advice Scheme

Consultations

The Garda Station Legal Advice Scheme provides that consultations with solicitors will be paid for by the State where:

  • the person has a legal entitlement to consult with a solicitor, and
  • the person's means are insufficient to enable him/her to pay for such consultation, and
  • the person is detained in a Garda station for the purpose of the investigation of an offence under the provisions of:
    • Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act 1939, as amended by the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998, or
    • Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, or
    • Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996, or
    • Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.

 

Extension Hearings

The Garda Station Legal Advice Scheme has been extended, with effect from 1 July, 2007, to provide for payments to solicitors in respect of extension hearings held in the District Court where the Gardaí wish to extend the time limit for holding suspects under the Offences Against the State Acts, the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 and under the Criminal Justice Act 2007.  The fee payable in respect of such hearings is that which applies in respect of first day appearances in the District Court under the statutory Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.  Payment in respect of extension hearings will be made in respect of hearings held on or after 1 July, 2007.

 

Eligibility

Persons who are in receipt of social welfare payments or persons whose earnings are less than €20,316 p.a. are eligible to receive assistance under the Scheme.

 

Fees Payable under the Scheme

Fees Payable to a Solicitor under the Garda Station Legal Advice Scheme (PDF - 8KB)

 

Applications/Claims

The person detained in the Garda Station applies by completing a form GSAS 1 which will be provided by the solicitor concerned.  At the end of the detention period, the solicitor claims his/her fee by completing forms GSAS 2 and 3 and by submitting GSAS 1, 2 and 3 to:

Courts Policy Division
Department of Justice and Law Reform
51 St. Stephen's Green
Dublin 2