The Gazette 1946-49

must always be in readiness to hold inquests at short notice, generally at considerable distances from their homes, to which they must travel at their own expense, the Council are of opinion that the time has come when the salaries of all Coroners in Eire should be substantially increased, and that pro– vision be made also for payment of salaries to Deputy Coroners who also are either solicitors or doctors, and strongly urge the Minister for Local Government Board to bring in forthwith a Bill amending Section 14 (6) of the Local Government Act, 1898, and repealing or deleting Section 18 of the Coroners' (Amendment) Act, 1927, and further enacting that from henceforth salaries be payable to all Deputy Coroners. That copies of this resolution be sent to Ministers for (i) Justice (2) Local Government Board, (3) Social Services, (4) Posts and Telegraphs." Circular Letter from Department of Justice to Coroners THE Secretary read correspondence from Coroners, enclosing copy of a letter which they had received from the Department of Justice, stating that re– presentations had been made to the Department by the Association of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen suggesting that at an inquest arising out of an industrial accident in which a member of the Union has been killed, officials of the Trade Union should be permitted to attend the inquest and to examine witnesses. The following resolution was proposed, seconded, and unanimously adopted, and it was ordered that a copy should be sent to the Hon. Secretary of the Coroners' Association : " That this Council view with concern the letter addressed by the Minister for Justice to Coroners on the subject of the representation of Trade Unions at inquests, and request the Coroners of Ireland to continue as in the past to confine the right of ad– vocacy in their Courts solely to the parties and to Barristers and Solicitors." The matter was also referred to a Committee of the Council to consider what action, if any, should be taken. Solicitor's claim for privilege THE Secretary read correspondence received from Mr. Gerald Y. Goldberg, Solicitor, Cork, with reference to the recent proceedings before Judge O'Connor in which Mr. Goldberg had been fined for contempt of Court for refusing to answer questions relating to certain transactions between his client and himself. He stated that he had been advised that no appeal against the order lay under the Courts of Justice Act, 1936, and that the only remedy open to him was to ask for a case stated to the Supreme Court, with the consent of all parties,

including the Attorney General. It was ordered that Counsel be briefed at the expense of the Society, to attend to protect Mr. Goldberg's interests in the matter, and that Mr. Goldberg be advised that in the view of the Council any questions put to him relative to solicitor and client transactions should not be answered' JULY 3rd. The President in the chair : Also present: Messrs. W. L. Duggan, J. J. Bolger, .Vice- Presidents; Messrs. J. P. Tyrrell, T$f. ]. Norman, P. R. Boyd, T. A. O'Reilly, J. P. Carrigan. f. B. Hamill, D. O'Connell, J. J. Lynch, J. R. Quirke, J. Barrett. W. S. Hayes, G. A. Overend, Hugh O'Donnell, L. E. O'Dea," A. Cox, R. J. Nolan. Applications under Sections 16 and 18 FOUR applications by Law Clerks to be bound as apprentices for three years were considered on reports from the Court of Examiners and granted by the Council. Three applications to the Chief Justice for ex– emption from the Preliminary Examination were considered. In the case of one application, it was decided to offer no opposition to the granting of total exemption from the examination, and in the case of the remaining two applications it was decided ' to offer no opposition to the granting of exemption from Latin and one book of Euclid. The Secretary was directed to inform the Chief Justice accordingly. Application under Section 14 of the Defence Forces' (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1946 ON the report of the Court of Examiners the Council considered an application from an intending ap– prentice that the period of his service in the Defence Forces should be reckoned as good service under his indentures of apprenticeship. On a report from the Court of Examiners, it was decided that two years of the applicant's service in the Defence Forces should be reckoned as good service under his indentures of apprenticeship subject to proof of satisfactory military service. Solicitors' Bill THE Council considered a report from the Solicitors' Bill Committee on the subject of a suggested fund to indemnify or compensate clients for losses due to defalcations by solicitors which had been referred back to that Committee for reconsideration. The report of the Committee was adopted, and it was ordered that a special general meeting of the Society be summoned for October and, to consider the suggestion that the Bill should contain provision for an indemnity or compensation fund, should the Council deem it advisable or necessary to include same in the Bill. 14