A key role of the NCC is to assess the competitiveness of the Irish economy, which requires an assessment of the productivity levels of businesses relative to their cost base. In recent years, the NCC has been concerned with the cost of legal services, and the Council has previously stated that ‘the cost competitiveness of legal services has a direct impact on national competitiveness’.  The recently published ‘Cost of Doing Business in Ireland 2019’ report noted that Ireland is a relatively expensive location in which to resolve a commercial dispute through the court system.

In that context, the NCC made a submission to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) consultation on the ‘Review of Legal Practitioner Education and Training’ compiled by Hook and Tangaza.

NCC submission is here