The Gazette 1955-58

The second important change, and I believe improvement, which has been effected by the new Apprenticeship and Education Regulations is the substitution for the present Intermediate and Final examinations of four examinations covering the same course as at present, but I believe dealing with it more fairly and in greater detail. When the new regulations have come into full operation we shall have first, second and third Law examinations and an examination in book-keeping (apart of course from the first and second Irish examinations with which everyone is already familar). Under our present system an apprentice is examined at the Inter mediate examination generally taken after two years apprenticeship on the general principles of the law of property, contract, and tort, the practice and pro cedure of the Courts, and book-keeping. He is not expected at that stage to have a very detailed knowledge of the course and some of the more difficult parts of the law of real property are ex cluded. When he reaches the final examination two or three years later he takes the same subjects again in greater detail and in addition is examined in equity. The new regulations limit the number of subjects at the intermediate examination to the law of property contract and tort and exclude Court practice altogether, but the first law exam ination in property contract and tort will in effect be the final examination as far as these subjects are concerned, and having passed the examination he will not be re-examined on them, subject to this, that questions will be set at the third law exam ination on the portion of the law of contract which may be called commercial law on account of its special importance in general practice. By dividing up the examination course in this manner it will be possible for the apprentice to avoid cramming for the final examinations and it is also felt that by obtaining a thorough grasp of the subjects for the first law examination he will have a better foundation for the subjects for the second and third examinations which to a large extent will consist of the practical applications of the law of property and contract. The subjects at the second law examination will be equity, company law, con veyancing, land law and the practice of the superior courts. The subjects at the third law examination will be the law of wills, probate and administration of estates, taxation, criminal law and practice, the law of evidence, commercial law and the practice of Circuit and District Courts. The present Intermediate examination will con tinue until Spring 1957 and the first Law exam ination under the new regulations will commence in Autumn 1957. It is important for apprentices who are commencing their course this year to

The rules of procedure in claims against the Compensation fund have been settled and will probably be made by the Council to-day. The Apprenticeship and Education Regulations will come into operation on ist September 1956. Owing to the fact that provision must be made for apprentices who are already part of the way through the course the regulations will not come fully into operation until autumn 1960 but various pro visions will come into operation before that date. The underlying principle of the new scheme of education is the recognition that the studies of a law student in what I have already referred to as pure legal theory are best pursued at the Univer sities which provide lecture courses and highly qualified and competent lecturers in these subjects, and that education in what I may describe as applied legal theory can best be given by professional institutions such as this Society. The regulations therefore make it compulsory for solicitors' appren tices to attend University lectures in the law of property, real and personal, contract and tort before sitting for the Society's first law examination and to attend further lectures at the University in the subject of equity before attending the Society's second law examination. From and after September 1956 the Society will discontinue the existing lec ture courses in these subjects and will provide lectures in the Solicitors' Buildings in conveyancing law and practice and land law, the practice and pro cedure of the Courts, company law and executor- ship law and practice, taxation including death duties, and the rights duties and responsibilities of solicitors. Arrangements have already been made and have been brought into operation during the present year with the Dublin Vocational auth orities for lectures by a qualified member of the staff of the Rathmines School of Commerce in the subject of book-keeping for solicitors' apprentices. Attend ance at these lectures which are held in the Sol icitors' Buildings is voluntary during the present year but will be compulsory after ist September, 1956. I am glad to be able to say that our appren tices have shown their appreciation of the value of these lectures by enrolling in large numbers in the present session, and I should here like to pay a tribute to the readiness with which the auth orities of the Rathmines School of Commerce met us in this matter and provided a very competent lecturer at short notice. I have little doubt that the instruction which our apprentices are receiving in this subject will not only enable them to pass their examinations with greater facility but will be of lasting value to them when they have been admitted a,nd commence practice.