Overview

This book, written by a former lawyer, argues that Irish citizens are badly served by our current legal system. It describes how the administration of justice in the courts has become so cumbersome and expensive that many citizens are deprived of access to justice. Having analysed why this is so, it goes on to suggest how the system could be improved, making it cheaper and faster, without impairing quality. Michael Williams discusses alternatives to the litigation process, such as arbitration and mediation, and shows why they are not performing as well as they should. He offers a better way for appointing judges, and suggests that they should go through both training and continuous assessment. He describes how lawyers' fees could be fairly reduced and argues for a redefinition of the duties lawyers owe to the public. He then takes a hard look at two recent attempts at reform of the legal system and why they have delivered so little. In the last section of Serving the People, Michael Williams analyses five recent Supreme Court decisions and argues that the judgements may have abridged the rights of citizens, intruded on the proper functions of the Dail and government, and in general could have a negative impact on the legal landscape. The Irish legal system has an enormous influence on all of our lives, and this important new book provides some concrete suggestions on how it could be made fairer and more effective.

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9781908308429

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Michael Williams worked as a solicitor from 1956 to 1986, when I resigned his partnership to begin work as a mediator. He worked as a mediator from 1986 to 2000, and as a trainer and consultant in mediation from 1993 to 2009. He is the author of Mediation: Why People Fight and How to Help Them to Stop (Poolbeg Press), and has written articles for The Irish Times, The Gazette of the Law Society and Studies.

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