British lawyers rush to register in Ireland over Brexit fears

The number of British lawyers who have registered to practise in Ireland rose significantly in the first six months of 2016, primarily due to concerns that Britain may vote to leave the EU, the Law Society said on Monday.

A record 186 British lawyers were admitted by the end of June, the regulatory body said, up from less than 50 at the same time last year and already almost four times the amount that qualified to practise in Ireland during 2014.

"Solicitors are flowing into this jurisdiction in unprecedented numbers. They don't intend to come here and practise, they are acquiring the additional qualification as an Irish solicitor as they are entitled to," Law Society director general Ken Murphy told national broadcaster RTÉ.

“What they are saying to us informally and quite openly is that this is a contingency plan, particularly for solicitors who are specialists in European and competition law based in their London offices.”

Mr Murphy said that of all EU member states, the Republic’s legal system is the most similar to that of the UK, and that the right to argue before EU tribunals such as the Court of Justice of the EU is only afforded to EU-qualified lawyers.

EU rules

Under EU rules, lawyers who have qualified in England, Wales or Northern Ireland need only undergo a simple process to be permitted to practise in the Republic, the Law Society said. The rules for Scotland are more onerous.

While Ireland has much to lose if its nearest and largest trading partner decides on Thursday to quit the union, Brexit could see some firms relocate to Ireland from Britain.

“There are several dozen applications that are still being processed. Depending on the result of the referendum, these applications may continue to rise,” Murphy said.

Reuters