Too many barristers in motor cases
26 November 2002: Some 70 per cent of of motor accident insurance cases in Ireland involve the services of a barrister, compared to just 1 per cent in Britain, a conference on motor insurance has been told.
The chairperson of the new Personal Injuries Assessment Board, Dorothea Dowling, told the participants at the Society of Actuaries conference that the legal system in dealing with motor accidents cases is 'cumpersome' and 'lacks transparency'.
She said the PIAB would lead to a faster and more transparent system and would improve the quality of justice for genuine victims of negligence.
Labour leader Pat Rabitte said at the conference that the adversarial system is 'hugely expensive' and 'characterised by real unfairness'. "A key principle, real access to justice, is utterly compromised," he said.