“ARE you in good form?” a defendant enquired of Judge Fiona Lydon when he was weighing up if he should represent himself and get his case over with, as his solicitor was on strike and unavailable to assist him.
He told the Judge that if she was in good form then he’d go ahead and have his case dealt with by her.
“I’m always in good form,” the Judge assured him but inquired of prosecuting Garda Sgt Claire Heneghan whether there was a chance that the defendant might prejudice himself if the case went ahead. Sgt Heneghan suggested that it might be prudent to wait until he had legal representation.
Adjourning the case until the October 8 sitting, the Judge inquired if he was working for the sake of assessing legal aid. “Kinda,” replied the defendant, and assured her that this didn’t mean he came anywhere near the €500 earnings threshold for assessing suitability for the granting of free legal aid.
“I note you have a good sense of humour and that’s always a help,” the Judge commented as he bade her a cheery farewell. She deferred legal aid in light of the current industrial action by solicitors on the legal aid panel.
