The State Claims Agency, in an initiative designed to reduce legal costs, invited barristers to tender competitively for their services by way of e-tender. This tender competition followed the success of a similar initiative by the State Claims Agency, in 2011, which reduced legal fees paid to solicitors.
Barrister tender applications were assessed in respect of (a) Employer Liability/Public Liability/Property Damage claims and (b) Clinical negligence claims.
The process was formally concluded on the 24 January 2014 and successful tenderers were appointed in respect of three separate categories to each competition as follows: (A) senior counsel, (B) junior counsel barristers (experience in excess of five years) and (C) junior counsel barristers (up to five years’ experience).
One of the significant innovations in the tender competition was the invitation to barristers with less than five years’ experience to compete for work within a separate category. This permits the State Claims Agency to offer less complex legal work to younger and more recently qualified members of the bar enabling the fostering of young talent. It is also hoped it will lead to increased competition at the bar. The list of barristers selected for the various panels can be viewed by clicking on the link below and then selecting 1) “published awards” and 2) enter keyword “barrister”.