Irish Prison Service - Request for Expressions of Interest for appointment to the Panel of Legal Representatives in respect of prisoner appeals under Section 16 of the Prisons Act 2007

SECTIONS 15 AND 16 OF THE PRISONS ACT 2007

Request for Expressions of Interest for appointment to the Panel of Legal Representatives in respect of prisoner appeals under Section 16 of the Prisons Act 2007

Request for Expressions of Interest

A prisoner who is found by a governor to have committed a breach of prison discipline, and on whom a sanction of forfeiture of remission of portion of his or her sentence has been imposed, may notify the governor of his or her intention to appeal against the finding or sanction (or both) to an Appeal Tribunal established under section 16 of the Prisons Act 2007.

Prisoners are entitled to have their appeal heard by an independent Appeal Tribunal and are further entitled to be legally represented at the hearing. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Act, the Irish Prison Service must establish and maintain a panel of legal representatives or law firms who satisfy the criteria outlined in the terms and conditions, and are willing to provide legal services in accordance with the provisions of the Prisons Act 2007 and the Scheme.

The Irish Prison Service now intends to compile a panel of legal representatives. It is intended that such a panel will last for three years. Inclusion on this panel does not guarantee that any individual will be called upon to represent a prisoner at an Appeal Tribunal.

Interested solicitors, currently practicing and with a minimum of three years practice experience are invited to apply for inclusion on this panel.

The application form, applicable fee and the Terms and Conditions of this scheme, are available to download from the Irish Prison Website here.

Expressions of interest, should be made via the official application form, with any relevant documentation, and forwarded to the following email address: appealstribunal@irishprisons.ie. Queries in this regard may also be forwarded to that address in advance of the closing date.

The closing date for receipt of expressions of interest has been extended to close of business on Friday, 20 January 2023.