The Gazette 1958-61

THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENTS

Ladies and Gentlemen, Before dealing with the business of our Society I regret to say that since our last meeting death has taken many of our former colleagues—Michael E. Knight who was president in the year 1935-36; vice president in the year 1927-28 and a member of the Council from 1925 to 1945 ; John J. Dundon, who was a member of the Council from 1936 to 1946 and a provincial delegate from 1948 to 1957 ; Arthur Blood-Smyth, who was a provincial delegate from 1934 to 1948 ; District Justice Coffey ; James Coghlan ; William Franklin ; Luighaidh P. Gleeson; Dermot J. Hanly; Edmund W. Mooney ; William J. Murphy ; Miss Adelaide Quin ; Samuel Roche and Laurence Walsh. Our profession is the poorer for their loss. The true function of our profession is to further the rule of law and to bring peace, order and harmony into the lives of others. Many of those whose names I have mentioned have a noble record in that regard. Their story is not graven only on stone over their clay. It abides everywhere without visible symbol woven into the warp and woof of other men's lives. To their relatives I express the sympathy of myself, my Council and our Society. Ar dheis De go raibh a n-anamacha. Ladies and Gentlemen : It is important in a free society that there should be an independent body of private legal practitioners with autonomy in their profession. History, and especially modern history, shows that whenever a tyrannical power wished to impose its arbitrary will on a community, it began by subjugating the legal profession. This was done in Russia in March, 1918; in Czechoslovakia by an Act on the 2Oth December, 1951; in Hungary since September, 1958 and in Poland by a Statute of the 27th June, 1950. A similar state of affairs exists in East Germany. In all these countries, the control of the legal profession was taken over by the Ministry of Justice and the private practice of law was for all practical purposes eliminated. The lawyer's work in these countries is now done through Legal Aid Offices, which are legal entities under the control of the Ministry of Justice. The general pattern is that as a general rule a person may select the lawyer of his choice. The fee is not paid to the lawyer but to the Legal Aid Office. The lawyer must not accept from a client any remuneration of any kind. The salaries of lawyers are fixed according to Schedules of the Minis try of Justice. Not only is the lawyer not allowed to engage in private practice, but he is not even entitled to choose the Legal Aid Office in which he would like to carry out his profession. The Legal Aid Centre establishes the Legal Aid Offices and determines whether and to which Legal Aid Office a lawyer is admitted. By the direct control which the Minister

Mr. Ralph J. Walker of Dublin has been elected President of the Society for the coming year. Mr. George G. Overend and Mr. John Maher, both of Dublin, have been elected Vice Presidents. ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING An ordinary general meeting of the Society was held in the Library, Solicitors' Buildings, Four Courts, Dublin on Thursday, 24th November, 1960. The President, Mr. John J. Nash, took the chair. The minutes of the ordinary general meeting held z6th May, 1960, were read, confirmed and signed. On the motion of the President, seconded by G. G. Overend, Messrs. Kevans and Sons were reappointed as the Society's auditors. The Secretary read the report of the scrutineers of the ballot for the election of the Council and provin cial delegates for the year 1960-61. The report stated that for the office of provincial delegate the following had been returned unopposed ; Ulster : Derrick M. Martin ; Munster : Edward Treacy ; Leinster : Reginald J. Nolan ; Connaught: Francis Armstrong. The foregoing were declared duly elected. The result of the ballot for the 31 ordinary members of the Council was as follows : John R. Halpin, 482 ; John P. Carrigan, 478 ; Augustus Cullen, 467 ; Arthur Cox, 466 ; John J. Nash, 461 ; Niall S. Gaffney, 455 ; Thomas A. O'Reilly, 445 ; Desmond J. Collins, 435 ; Peter E. O'Connell, 429 ; Eunan McCarron, 428 ; Francis J. Lanigan, 420 ; William J. Comerford, 410 ; James J. O'Connor, 410 ; Patrick O'Donnell, 393 ; Robert McD. Taylor, 388; James W. O'Donovan, 386; Terence de Vere White, 386 ; George A. Nolan, 384 ; John Maher, 383 ; George G. Overend, 381 ; Ralph J. Walker, 377 ; John J. Sheil, 376 ;. Patrick Noonan, 376 ; DinnenB. Gilmore, 373 ; Brendan A. McGrath, 372; John Kelly, 369; William A. Tormey, 363 ; Thomas V. O'Connor, 359; James R. C. Green, 321 ; Peter D. M. Prentice, 301 ; Brendan T. Walsh, 265. The President declared the foregoing members of the Society duly elected to the Council in accordance with the scrutineers' report. \ The following candidates received the number of votes placed after their names: James B. MacGarry, 232; Francis A. Gibney, 184; Elizabeth Wright, 152; Raymond V. H. Downey, 135 ; Max W. Abrahamson, 107 ; Martin E. Marren, 106. The President moving the adoption of the report of the Council said,