Bar Council representatives will meet Department of Justice officials this afternoon to discuss possible anti-inflationary steps the council might take. The meeting follows a similar one between the Department and the Law Society yesterday.
The Bar Council represents barristers while the Law Society represents solicitors.
There was also a meeting yesterday between the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA). Mr Martin asked the body to encourage medical fee restraint.
With the publication of the latest inflation figures on Tuesday showing a rate of 5.5 per cent, Ministers in all Departments have been directed by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to order bodies under their control not to raise prices.
Law Society director Mr Ken Murphy said: "The fact is the Law Society does not and cannot control charges and fees charged by solicitors. That is a matter between the solicitor and their client."
The IHCA yesterday received written legal advice on fee capping and the inquiry into consultants fees by the Competition Authority. The IHCA's secretary general, Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, says the association has been advised it would be "exceedingly unwise to make any recommendations to members at the moment regarding fee levels". The Irish Medical Organisation also met Department of Health officials yesterday. It is understood they too underlined the belief that medical inflation was negligible.
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