The Gazette 1967/71

PROVINCIAL DELEGATE Pursuant to Bye Law 38 the Council have co- opted Mr. William B. Alien, Galway, as provincial delegate for Connaught. ENGLISH LAW SOCIETY SCARBOROUGH CONFERENCE The Presndent, Mr. Eunan McCarron, and Mrs. McCarron were guests of honour at the National Conference of the English Law Society held in Scarborough, Yorkshire, from 21st ao 24th October. The theme of the conference was the Role of the Profession in the community. Mr. Payne, President of the English Law Society, delivered an inaugural address, and the lecture by the dis tinguished speaker was given by the Archbishop of York, Dr. Coggan. Other subjects treated were " The Public Need for Professional Service ", and " Matching To-day's Community Needs ". There were discussion groups on Remunera tion and on Legal Aid, while the Young Members bers considered the Erosion of the Rights of the Individual. A detailed account of the proceedings will be found in the November and December issues of the English Law Society Gazette. TAX RELIEFS FOR COSTS OF CHANGING TO DECIMAL CURRENCY Tax reliefs for machine decimalisation costs : (1) Non-Capital expenditure on adapting or con verting machines, including labour costs and the cost of repacing component parts may be immediately deducted as an expense in com puting taxable profits : Example: For a trader who pays income tax at a rate of 7/- in the £ the tax reief on an outlay of £30 on the conversion of a machine would be worth £10. 1971, on the purchase of a new machine for decimalisation, " free deprecia tion " may be claimed, so that the purchaser may, if he wishes, write-off the full expen diture in the first year in which the machine is brought into use. Example: For a trader who pays income tax at the rate of 7/- in the £ the tax relief on an outlay on the purchase of a new machine would be worth £35. (2) Where expenditure is incurred before 6 April,

EUROPEAN JURISTS CONFERENCE A combined conference of the European Jurists Association, representing the lawyers of the Six Common Market Countries, and of the European Group of the English Law Society was held in Paris on 15th and 16th November 1969. About 80 English solicitors and 30 French lawyers attended; Mr. P. C. Moore and Mr. Gavan Duffy repre sented Irish lawyers in a private capacity. The sessions were held in the Palais du Luxembourg, a magnificent 17th century building, where the French Senate sits. Maitre Louis Pettiti, Secretary-General of the European Jurists Asso ciation, welcomed the English and Irish lawyers on Friday 15th September, and Mr. George God- dard, Chairman of the European Group, replying in French, expressed the gratification of the members that the Conference was being held in beautiful Paris. The first paper was given in English by Maitre Gastambide on " The position of Subsidiary Com panies (Societies Filiales) in Britain and in France). The lecturer stressed that the position of a subsidiary company in France had not been clarified, until the legislation passed in 1966. The present position is that if more than half of the shares of the subsidiary company are held by the principal company, it is considered a "filiale". If on the other hand, the principal company holds less than half the shares of the subsidiary, the principle of " participation " applies. The advan tageous position of the large public companies called " Societes Anonymes " was then stressed, in so far as they could issue transferable shares, and that a " Directoire " similar to an English Board of Directors could be constituted. The lec turer then detailed the main provisions regarding " Societes Anonymes," and emphasised that there was no open invitation to the public to subscribe. If there is only one Managing Director, he is given very wide powers, but a " Conseil de Surveillance " (Council of Supervision) is elected by the share holders to watch over his activities. The company becomes legal entity only after it has been registered in the Register of Commerce. After a succeulent lunch given by the Association of Suropean Jurists in the Hotel du Palais d'Orsay, at which Mr. Moore was honoured by being placed at the top table, the second lecture was delivered in French by Maitre Gruber. It dealt specifically with the powers of the more private companies, called "Societes a Responsabilite Limitee" and of the almost unlimited powers of the " grand" Tech nician or Managing Director. He also emphasised that the ulrta vires rule did not prevail in France, 74