The Gazette 1955-58

the times at which the various examinations may be taken and other matters. 6. The principal change effected by the new regulations is that the first law examination (unlike the present intermediate examination) will be conducted at final level and the successful candidate will not be subject to further examination in the subjects except as mentioned above. It is important therefore for each apprentice now serving under indentures to decide whether he will take the present intermediate or the new first law examination and to plan his studies accordingly. Apprentices who intend to take the first law examination will bear in mind that there will be no examination in practice at this stage but a full and detailed examination in the theory subjects. Apprentices who intend to take the intermediate examination will bear in mind that there will be a paper on practice and that some of the more difficult parts of the law of property will be excluded. Apprentices who pass the final examination in or before spring 1960 will be examined over the whole course as at present, but after spring 1960 the subjects taken at the first law examination (except commercial law as mentioned above), will not be included in the second and third examinations. 7. Members who have apprentices are asked to bring the above to their notice. THE attention of members is drawn to the following important provisions of the Finance Bill, 1956, of special interest to solicitors. 1. Where the property passing on the death of any person dying domiciled in the State includes any Irish stocks, shares, or securities the value of such stocks, shares and securities for the purposes of assessment of estate duty shall be deemed to be two-thirds of their full value. In order to benefit from this concession the deceased person must have been beneficially entitled to such shares for at least three years before his death (Section 21), but any charge or incumbrance may be deducted in full. 2. It will be recalled that Section 13 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1947 imposed astamp duty of 25 percent. DEATH DUTIES AND STAMP DUTIES. FINANCE BILL, 1956.

The Society's lectures in the various courses should be taken before attending the examinations in which the subjects are included. These lectures may be taken together in one year if the apprentice wishes. An apprentice who has already obtained credit for attendance at university law lectures or at the Society's law lectures in any subject under the former regulations will be exempted from further attendance at the University or at the Society for lectures in that subject. It should however be noted that an ap prentice who may already have attended the Society's lectures in property, contract and tort may have to attend lectures in the University, in order to obtain the remission of one year in the term of apprentice ship under paragraph 3 of the second schedule to the Solicitors Act 1954. Apprentices attending the compulsory university law lectures under regulation 21 and obtaining credit therefor will be autom atically entitled to this remission. 4. Transitional provisions. The last the present regulations will be held in spring 1957 and the new first law examination will commence in autumn 1957. Under the existing practice of the Council an apprentice may attend the intermediate after two years' service but may be admitted as a concession to the examination after 18 months' service. Apprentices who pass the intermediate examination including the book-keeping examination may attend the final examination under the present regulations which will continue until spring 1960, subject to conforming with the regulations as to time, etc. An apprentice who passes the first law examination which will commence in autumn 1957 may also attend the book-keeping examination and the final examination under the present regulations down to spring 1960, subject to conforming as above. If he passes the present final examination lie need not attend the second and third law examinations under the new regulations. An apprentice who does not pass the final examination before spring 1960 must attend and pass the new first, second and third law examinations. During the transitional period the Court of Examiners may on special application permit such an apprentice to take the examinations together or separately. The regulations confer wide powers on the Court of Examiners to deal with special cases of difficulty during the transitional period. 5. Apprentices who enter into indentures after 31 st August, 1956, will not be subject to the transitional provisions and will be bound by the regulations as to intermediate examination under