§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the rights of audience of barristers and advocates from the other member states of the European Community who wish to appear in the courts of Northern Ireland, and how many Northern Ireland junior barristers, who are Senior Counsel in the Republic of Ireland, are treated as Senior Counsel in Northern Ireland. [HL2272]
§ The Lord ChancellorThe rights of audience of barristers and advocates from the other member states of the European Union who wish to appear in the courts of Northern Ireland are governed by various European Directives. These include Council Directive 1977/249/EEC of 22 March 1977, to facilitate the effective exercise by lawyers of freedom to provide services; Council Directive 1989/48/EEC of 21 December 1988, on a general system for the recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on completion of professional education and training of at least three years' duration; and Directive 1998/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998, to facilitate practice of the profession of lawyer on a permanent basis in a member state other than that in which the qualification was obtained. The directives apply equally to barristers from Northern Ireland seeking rights of audience in the courts of the other member states.
2WAI understand that there are two members of the junior bar in Northern Ireland who are Senior Counsel in the Republic of Ireland and are given the same status in court in Northern Ireland as Queen's Counsel.