The Gazette 1946-49

In passing from this topic I may mention that a special Committee of the Council has recently been appointed to consider the law relating to Trustee investments in particular, and the law relating to trustees in general with a view to making recom– mendations as to the charges which are necessary to adapt the law to present day circumstances. Material is being collected to aid the Committee in its work. The Council would welcome the assistance of members of the Society in this matter. Solicitors have much experience of the working of the Trustee Acts both as solicitors and not infrequently as trustees. If any member wanting to bring any particular matter before the Committee will write to the Secretary the matter will be fully considered. I have to add that this inquiry is being undertaken at the request of the Minister for Justice. The Council have recently considered the difficulty experienced by solicitors' apprentices in studying for the Intermediate and Final Examinations of the Society owing to the present scarcity of legal text– books. On account of the changes effected by English legislation in subjects such as Real Property, Conveyancing and Company Law since the setting up of the Irish Free State, the modern editions of English text-books on these subjects are not appro– priate to this country. Students, as a consequence, must rely upon the older editions. These editions have been gradually going out of print and are now becoming very difficult to procure, and the Secretary frequently receives letters from apprentices asking where they can obtain copies of the books on the courses. Some years ago the Government was approached by the Council and requested to sub– sidise the publication of legal text-books but no step has been taken in this direction. Even if it were now decided to undertake the publication of such books in this country a considerable interval of time would elapse before any law books could appear on the market, and in the interval the difficulties in the way of apprentices preparing for the Society's examinations would continue to be very great. The Council feel that the responsibility lies upon them to take all possible steps to remedy the situation, and they have therefore decided to purchase as many copies of the appropriate editions of the text-books as are available with the object of lending them to apprentices preparing for the examination. The members of the profession have been circularised as there may be a number of solicitors who are prepared to sell law books to the Society for the purpose of the scheme. A number of books have been purchased but more are required. It is hoped that at least in part the present difficulties will be overcome, as the result of this scheme. The Council is represented on the various Com– mittees dealing with matters affecting the profession,

and during the past year the Superior Court Rules Committee, the Circuit Courts Rules Committee and the District Courts Rules Committee have all been at full pressure with frequent meetings in revising the rules of Court and bringing them up-to-date. My term of office as President is drawing to a close and I wish to avail of the occasion to express my ' gratitude to my colleagues on the Council for their unvarying loyalty and help throughout the past year. To the members of the Society in general I feel indebted for co-operation in our work. My work in the Chair has indeed been rendered light by the studied research and assistance offered me by our capable Secretary, Mr. Plunkett, who at all times was at my side to help in the work. I now move the adoption of the Annual Report. Mr. Cox seconded the adoption of the report. Mr. Scan (!) hUadhaigh addressed the meeting on the subject of the membership of the Society. The President put the motion for the adoption of the report to the meeting and it was carried unanimously. Mr. Lynch then took the chair and Mr. Overend proposed and Mr. Cox seconded a hearty vote of thanks to the President for his services to the Society during his year of office and for his presid– ential address. The motion was put to the meeting and carried with acclamation. The President thanked the meeting and the proceedings ter– minated. MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL OCTOBER 24th. The President in the chair. Also present: Mr. R.oger Greene, Vice-President; Messrs. G. A. Overend, J. P. Tyrrell, H. P. Mayne, S. O hUadhaigh, P. R. Boyd, L. E. O'Dea, W. L. Duggan, J. B. Hamill,' J. Travers Wolfe, J. P. Carrigan, H. St. J. Blake, A Cox, W. J. Norman,. J. R. Quirke, J. J. Lynch, J. Gillespie, J. Barrett, J. J. Bolger, C. G. Stapleton, W. S. Hayes, J. S. O'Connor, H. O'Donnell, P. F. O'Reilly. The following was among the business transacted : Solicitors' Remuneration The Council considered a report from a Com– mittee on the subject of solicitors' remuneration. The report stated that the present scales of solicitors' remuneration are inadequate for the needs of the profession having regard to the change in financial and economic conditions resulting from the recent war. The report recommended that the Council should apply to each of the appropriate Com– mittees for an increase of 25 per cent, on all classes of solicitors' business based on the actual levels of remuneration now in force. The report was 40