I read at the weekend that Ammi Burke’s legal costs bill in respect of her failed High Court action against Arthur Cox Solicitors and the WRC could be in the region of €250,000.
I do not know how accurate this figure is but it struck me that it was entirely avoidable if Ms Burke was only concerned about pursuing an unfair dismissal case.
Because she could have started from scratch again by bringing her case for unfair dismissal to the Labour Court and avoiding legal costs. At the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court each side pays their own legal costs.
And you cannot have a costs order made against you.
So, once the WRC dismissed her case she could have appealed to the Labour Court and paid a small fee and not be concerned about legal costs if she lost.
That is not the case in the civil courts. And if memory serves me well she has had costs orders made against her in both the High Court and Court of Appeal.
These are the costs that the Sunday (or Irish Mirror) have reported as being in the region of €250,000.
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