The Gazette 1955-58

•co-operative way by the Secretary and they have now furnished us with a time-table within which solicitors may expect to have their business with the Land Commission to be dealt with. This time table will be published in the GAZETTE. It is pleasant indeed on this occasion to offer praise instead of criticism, and we do appreciate the realistic efforts which have been made by the Land Commission to expedite the work and solicitors all over the country will note with gratitude that applications for consent to sub-division, which sometimes took up to 4 or 5 months, are now dealt with within a fortnight. In like manner we have made similar requests to the Land Registry, the Adjudication Office, the Probate Office, the Estate Duty Office and the Accountant General. We have agreed, or are agreeing with the majority of these Offices, [times within which, when papers are lodged in proper order, they can expect cases to be completed. I emphasise that it is of the essence, if delay is to be avoided, that papers should be lodged in proper form. If not, the delay is due to the solicitor's own fault; but in cases, where papers are lodged in the correct form and where the delay exceeds the time stipulated by the respective office, I suggest that solicitors should in such case write a letter of complaint to the head of the particular department and draw his attention to the delay ; and in the event of failure to obtain satisfaction should put the facts before the Society. We are gratified to record that during the past two years, Sittings of the High Court have been held in Cork for the trial of High Court actions, and during the past year a Sitting also took place in Galway. Solicitors generally may not perhaps be aware that it is open to them to apply to have High Court actions heard in their local Assize centres. The machinery, it has been agreed, exists for the purpose, and it is only necessary, if good reason can be shown why a case should be heard outside of Dublin, to make the necessary application to the Court. During the past year Mr. Plunkett and I were privileged to represent the Society officially at the Conference of the International Bar Association in Oslo. The International Bar Association is an organisation of the organised Law Societies through out the world, formed for the express purpose of promoting friendly relationships between members of the legal profession in different countries, for the exchange of information, and in particular, to try and establish, where possible, uniform systems of practice and procedure. At Oslo there were represen tatives of the Law Societies of 41 countries from 6 Continents—in fact from every civilised country in. the world outside the Iron Curtain. It was the

first occasion upon which our Society was officially represented at an International Bar Association Conference and for us it was a memorable experience. During that week we met delegates from every country and, both officially and unofficially, received a most cordial welcome. We found, on all sides, the greatest interest in our Society and its work and, not only in the Society, but also in our country. Very many delegates expressed their wish to visit the country, in particular our American friends, and I am glad to say that arrangements are now on foot to receive a representative delegation of the American Bar Association next year. I have no doubt but that solicitors everywhere will extend them a truly Irish welcome. We also obtained a fund of information on practice and procedure throughout the world and the functions, activities and developments with which other Law Societies are concerned. Over and over again in Oslo it was emphasised that the primary function of a Law Society is to regulate its activities in the public interest and co extensive therewith is the role of the lawyer in the modern world. I can understand that a member of any great profession without full consideration might regard it as the prime duty of his own professional body to look after the interests of its members and might consider that all its other functions were of secondary importance. Such a view, however, ignores the fundamental concept of a profession, and the fact that members of a profession dedicate themselves in effect to the public service and are only secondarily concerned with their own financial advancement and would therefore overlook the basic truth that nothing can be done to improve the lot of a profession unless at the same time it be in the public interest. Various Societies have adopted specific pro grammes to this end. For instance, the American Bar Association in the year 1951 adopted 6 long range objectives as a programme for the legal profession. These were as follows :— 1. The preservation of representative govern ment through a programme of public education and understanding of the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship. 2. The promotion and establishment within the legal profession of organised facilities for the furnishing of legal services to all citizens at a cost within their means. 3. The improvement of the administration of justice through adherence to effective standards of judicial administration and administrative procedure.