About this Event
No Fee on State’s Guarantee
Weekly March for Access to Justice
Every week, we will gather at the Four Courts and march peacefully to the Office of the Attorney General, continue to the Department of the Taoiseach, and conclude at the Department of Justice.
This is a standing weekly, lawful, and peaceful march asserting the public’s right of access to justice under the Constitution of Ireland.
The first and primary demand is that the Minister for Justice issue a clear and binding order that no court fees are payable where a citizen or a person living in Ireland is asserting or protecting fundamental or constitutional rights through the courts. The State guarantees these rights in the Constitution. A State guarantee cannot be conditional on payment.
The second demand is Equal Facilities for the Public in the Four Courts. Justice is administered in public, and preparation for justice must also be possible in public. Citizens and lay litigants are entitled to facilities equivalent to those provided to solicitors and barristers. This includes adequate workspaces, printing and document facilities, and full access to all Superior Court cases, judgments, and records. Members of the public must be able to prepare cases to the same standard as professional legal practitioners who benefit from private libraries and meeting areas within the Four Courts.
The third demand is that the Taoiseach act to rein in the Office of the Attorney General and ensure that the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor’s Office operate strictly within the limits set by the Constitution and the law. The Constitution provides that the Attorney General represents the Government and the public and advises Ministers of State. It does not provide for blanket legal representation of individual State employees or State bodies outside what is expressly authorised by law. Any such representation must be clearly grounded in constitutional or statutory authority and not in custom, administrative practice, or convenience.
Articles 34-44 of the Constitution establish that justice is administered by courts established by law, that justice is administered in public, that courts exist to vindicate rights, and that the State guarantees personal rights and personal liberty. These guarantees are rendered meaningless if access to the courts is restricted by fees, barriers, or unequal treatment between the public and legal professionals.
This march will take place every week until court fees are removed from fundamental rights cases, equal facilities are provided to the public in the Four Courts, and constitutional limits on State legal power are respected.
No Fee on State’s Guarantee
Equal Facilities for the Public in the Four Courts
Justice belongs to the people.
Event venue & nearby stays
Inns Quay, Inns Quay, Dublin, Ireland
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.