The Gazette 1944-46

The following were among the matters dealt with :

to in the letter from the Department were eminently suitable for reference to such a Com mittee. The Council adopted the report of the Committee and the Secretary was directed to notify the Department accordingly, but to add that if it is intended to proceed with legislation on the matters mentioned without setting up a Law Reform Advisory Committee the Council will be willing to consider the subject further with a view to giving any assistance in their power. Solicitors' Claim for Petrol Allowance. THE Secretary read a letter from the Department of Supplies referring to recent discussions on the question of petrol supplies and stating that the Minister regretted that he was unable to accede to the request of the Council. The Minister was however, willing to grant on application all re quests from solicitors, wherever resident, to be allowed to operate their private cars which are fitted with gas producer plants. Department of Defence. THE President reported that, accompanied by the Secretary, he had interviewed officials of the Department of Defence in connection with the departmental practice of negotiating settlements direct with clients of solicitors of claims for compensation for the occupation of lands by the military under Emergency Powers Orders, and that the following agreement had been made :— (1) A direction shall be given to the appropriate officials of the Department that in any case in which a solicitor has notified the Department that he is acting for a claimant correspondence or negotiations for a settlement of the claim shall not be conducted by the department otherwise than through the claimant's solicitor. (2) Officials of the Department shall be at liberty to enter upon lands by arrangement with the claimants for the purpose of estimating the amount of the damage or compensation without notifying the claimant's solicitor, provided that no negotiations or discussions as to the claim take place on such occasions. The report was adopted. FEBRUARY 23rd. The President in the chair. Present: Mr. W. S. Huggard, Vice-President; Messrs. J. J. Smyth, W. L. Duggan, C. G. Staple- ton, W. S. Haves, D. O'Connell, W. J. Norman, J. R. Quirkc, P. R. Boycl. J. P. Carrigan, H. St. J. Blake, P. O'Connor, M. G. R. Lardner, H. P. Mayne, A. Cox. Scan 6 hUadhaigh, L. E. O'Dea, E. M. FitzGerald, J. B. Hamill.

Election of President and Vice-Presidents. THE Council adopted the report of a Committee submitting the draft of a new rule for the election of President and Vice-Presidents, whereby the names on the ballot paper for each election shall be placed in order of seniority, reckoned by the period or periods of service of each member as an ordinary member of the Council, but in the event of a Provincial Delegate being subsequently elected as an ordinary member of the Council his service as Provincial Delegate shall be reck oned together with his service as an ordinary member for the purpose of ascertaining his seniority. Land Registration Rules, 1944. THE Council considered a report from a Committee dealing with rule 20 of the above rules which contains a provision that on an application for the discharge of equities, where the ownership has been registered for 30 years, the application shall be accompanied by a certificate from a practising solicitor that he has investigated the title to the property on behalf of the applicant and that all the averments in the applicant's affidavit are true. No costs are allowed to the solicitor for the additional work of investigating the title and giving the certificate required by the rule. It was reported that the attention of the Registrar cf Titles had been drawn to the matter and that he had expressed the view that rule 20 should be amended by deleting the provision requiring a certificate from the applicant's solicitor, as to the title. Pending the amendment of the rule the Registrar, in the exercise of his powers, has directed that its operation shall be suspended in so far as it requires the above-mentioned certi ficate. Unqualified Person. THE Secretary reported that a letter had been written to an unqualified person, who appeared to have written letters to her tenants regarding arrears of rent, in terms which would lead them to believe that the letters had been written by a solicitor, warning her against continuing the practice. A letter had been received from the writer of the letters admitting the offence and undertaking not to repeat it. It was ordered that no further action shoidd be taken by the Society.

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