The Gazette 1967/71

administration of of Ireland in 1622. This body produced what are known as His Majesty's Directions jar the Irish Courts. By their very concern with fine points of administration and procedure, the Directions show how well estab lished English law had become. It is, incidentally, to it that we owe the definite information that procedure by 'English commission', the forebear of the Civil Bill, began in James's reign and hence when Davies was influential. In 1625 Davies lost his old master, James I. The new king, Charles, was soon involved in the legal and constitutional disputes that eventually con tributed to his loss of throne and life. When members of the judiciary, in the autumn of 1626, refused to approve a 'forced loan' Charles com pelled the Lord Chief Justice, Crew, to resign. Davies was a trusted upholder of the royal pre rogative, of the doctrine that the King was 'em peror within his kingdom', and he now was given the highest office in the common law courts. But before he could take his place on the bench he died suddenly. To contemporaries it seemed that he had been tragically deprived of the proper climax of his career. But it may well be that, in the circumstances of the day, Davies would have done nothing to increase his reputation in the eyes of later time. His fame for his own and later generations had been established; let us hope he took his own moralising to heart: 'Take heed of overweening, and compare Thy peacock's feet with the gal peacock's train; Study the best and highest things that are, But of thyself an humble thought retain'. BOOK REVIEWS Paterson's Licensing Acts 1971. Edited by T. N. Martin, 79th edition; 8vo., pp. 1,999. (London, Butterworth, 1970. £8). As in this country the licensing laws of Britain are based mainly on a proliferation of statutory provisions enacted over a period of two hundred years. The difficulty of interpreting them was emphasised by a member of the House of Lords in 1964 when he commented as follows:

"The argument before this House has dis closed a very unsatisfactory lack of co ordination between various sections of the Licensing Acts .... These Acts were consolidated in 1910 and again in 1953 but in passing a consolidation Act there is no opportunity to make any substantial changes .... It may be for consideration whether the time has not come for a review of the Acts as a whole, but that is the best function of the legislature . . . ." The noble Lord's difficulties may have been resolved somewhat by the Licensing Act, 1964; a consolidation Act of 204 sections and 15 schedules, it occupies a substantial part of this 79th edition of Paterson. The Act does not extend to either Scotland or Northern Ireland. Unfortunately this bulky tome is not likely to be of much value to Irish lawyers, on account of this modern English legislation, most of which has been enacted since 1922. T.D. McL. Editor's Note: A consolidation statute of the numerous Licensing Acts in the Republic if enacted, would be be of considerable benefit to Irish lawyers. Q.C. (Stevens & Sons, 1970. £6-6-0). This Eighteenth Edition of Russell the reputation of this comprehensive but compendious work. The law is stated lucidly and without the vacillation and evasiveness too often afflicting much-edited treatises. All useful case law is cited, including some Irish decisions, and the leading cases are digested in text. The presentation is logical: the nature of arbitration, the Act of 1950 and special statutes, the matters referable to arbitration, the arbitration agreement, in junctions and staying of arbitrations, the eligibility and appointment of persons to arbitrate, revocation of authority, the staying of Court Proceedings in matters referred, the powers and duties of arbitrators, procedure and evidence at arbitration and the jurisdiction of the 177 on Arbitration will sustain Russell on the Law of Arbitration : by Anthony Walton, Eighteenth edition