The Gazette 1921-25

JUNE, 1923]

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.

interest in his County. Mr. Lewis F. Kenny, a member of this Council, died this month, and thereby the Council have lost a valued colleague and the profession a worthy member. Since our last meeting, consequent on the destruction of our buildings and their contents, the work of the Society has continued to be carried on under the same disadvantages as were pointed out to you by my predecessor when he addressed you •six months ago. Notwithstanding the difficulties, however, the work of your Society has been diligently pursued by your Council, and many matters of importance to the public and to the profession have been dealt with. Amongst these was the consideration of the Bill relating to the compensation for injury to property and persons in respect to which suggestions were submitted to the Government. The continuance of the Rent Restriction Act was another matter to which your Council gave their attention ; your President was one of the Committee nominated by the Government to enquire into and report on the operation of the existing Act and on the policy of the continuance of the Act either in its present or in an amended form. During the enquiry some members of our profession attended before and afforded valuable information to the Committee. The new or continuing Act has not yet, however, been introduced, but it appears an early item in the pending list of legislative enactments. The report of the Committee, however, has been published by the Government. Complaint having been made to the Judicial Commissioner as to unnecessary or unexplained delay of members of the pro fession in proceeding with allocation of funds when same were brought to credit, on the order of the Judicial Commissioner a peremptory notice calling attention to the complaint appeared in the Legal Diary. It was submitted to your Council that this notice might be read as a general complaint or reflection on members of the profession, the greater number of whom were free from blame. Accordingly, a deputation from the Council had an interview with the Judicial Commissioner in reference to the notice, in agricultural progress

when it was arranged that the publication of same should be discontinued, the Council undertaking to direct the attention of members of the profession to the urgent necessity of prompt action in all matters of allocation, so that no future cause of complaint should arise. The Council desire again to draw the attention of members to this necessity on the part of Solicitors having conduct of sales, so that the allocation of funds shall take place before the closing day. Should unexpected difficulties arise the Judicial Commissioner informed the deputation that he would be always ready to hear applications in reference to difficulties arising from the Examiner's requisitions, and to give such assistance as might be in his power to facilitate the compliance with, or discharge of, these requisitions. The Council received in January last a joint deputation of members of the Royal Institute of Architects and the Institute of Civil Engineers, who made representation to the Council as to the advisability of the employment by members of the legal pro fession of professionally qualified persons in the preparation of claims for the assessment of damages in malicious injury cases, and the Council received lists of names so that they might be able to supply to members of this Society the names of qualified persons. A Committee of the Council devoted much time and consideration to the matter of the reference to the Judiciary Commission which is still pending, and the same subject was also considered by the General Council of the Provincial Bar Associations of the Irish Free State. A conference between the two bodies resulted in one joint report. This report contained suggestions for the establishment of Courts and the distribution of legal business and proceedings between the Supreme Court and those of restricted jurisdiction, and it was forwarded to the Judiciary Commission. If the suggestions contained in that report are adopted your Council feel confident that the results will be beneficial to the public and helpful to the profession, especially to those members who are engaged in country practice. As many inconveniences and, indeed, hardships have been experienced since the