IRELAND
One in Four
The Law Society has rejected suggestions by the Residential Institutions Redress Board that it has reacted in an "ad-hoc" fashion to the controversy over the double-charging of victims of abuse.
In a strongly-worded letter sent to the board yesterday, the society's director-general, Ken Murphy, said the board's criticism - contained in a rare public statement from the redress body the previous night - was unjustified.
The move comes as the society's complaints committee begins sifting through a rising number of complaints about solicitors over charging practices.
The society, which both regulates and represents solicitors, said the number of complaints had reached 84 by close of business yesterday. These related to 45 firms. However, said Mr Murphy, 19 of the complainants "said they did not know if there had been a deduction but they wanted it investigated nonetheless".