The Gazette 1971

SADS1 Reception 1971 The annual reception held by the Solicitors Apprentices Debating Society of Ireland (hereafter called SADSI) was held in the Solicitors Buildings, Four Courts, on Thursday, 21st October 1971. The formal proceedings opened when the Auditor, Mr. Laurence K. Shields, requested Mr. George Colley, T.D., Minister for Finance and ex-Auditor, to preside. The Chairman called upon the Auditor to speak, and the Auditor, having wel- comed the distinguished guests, introduced his com- mittee to the audience. He then mentioned some of the motions that were to be debated this session, such as : "That we acknowledge Ireland as two nations"; "That the Forcible Entry Act, 1971, is repugnant to the spirit of the law"; "That this house sees no future in Irish tourism"; and "That the greatest admirers of our juvenile delinquents are our Irish criminal courts". He mentioned the advantages of the Society such as the number of awards, and the suppers provided by Mrs. O'Reilly. The Record Secretary then read a pseudo- comic and alleged witty rendering of the minutes of the 70 Reception held on 27th October 1970.

important to realise that practice as a solicitor should not be the sole professional goal, but that newly-quali- fied solicitors should join business firms or the Govern- ment service. Mr. Patrick Kilroy, ex-Auditor, then spoke about the Liaison Committee. He emphasised that students con- sidered that those who dealt with legal education were reactionaries, who tended to defend the status quo. It was important to realise that there might be a violent reaction if there was no proper communication between the student and the educational authorities. The Court of Examiners consisted of busy practitioners which ensured objectivity, but they were sometimes too busy- to follow up necessary reforms. In its submission to the authorities in 1963, the Law Society had presented a most open report which deserved great praise. The Liaison Committee, consisting of six students, had been established two years ago, and had worked well the first year. Unfortunately last year the students failed to elect a Liaison Committee and thus their views remained unheard. He strongly urged them to revive the Liaison Committee this year, in order that such subjects as the contents of lectures and of subjects should be voiced. Miss Elizabeth Ryan, ex-Auditor, then emphasised the benefits of being a member of the Debating Society. The Chairman, Mr. Colley, then stated that he had very happy memories of the Society. This Society was unique and could provide an admirable forum for debating and subsequent friendships; furthermore basic legal problems could be discussed there. Mr. Colley made a strong plea for a further examination regarding the interpretation of statutes. He considered that, fol- lowing the British canons of construction of a statute, there was a distinct tendency to give it a strictly literal rather than a liberal interpretation. It was important to realise that European Courts had wider powers of inter- pretation than mere precedent and that documents called "travaux préparatoires" would be admitted (as had been done by the Supreme Court in the Sean Bourke extradition case). Deputies of all parties dis- played a humane and liberal approach to legislation, and he hoped that the same approach would be consid- ered as much by the Courts as by the administrators themselves. He finally emphasised that the service rendered by the legal profession was indispensable in a free society. A sherry reception was held beforehand and a supper was held afterwards.

The President, Mr. Brendan McGrath, was then asked to speak about the functions of the Incorporated Law Society; he emphasised that the solicitor's profes- sion was a noble one. It was up to us to defend the legal order which gave meaning and value to our society. A professional association seeks to guarantee quality by evolving suitable rules of conduct. Qualifi- cation must be the special status of competence of our profession. It was erroneous to think that the Law Society was mainly concerned with discipline, as was evidenced by the numerous sub-committees of the Council. Those who supported the Society would sup- port the manpower resources of the profession. Mr. Peter Prentice, Chairman of the Court of Examiners, was then asked to explain the functions of that Court. Unlike other committees of the Council, the Court of Examiners had been set up by statutory order. Its main function was to approve the courses set on behalf of the Society. A member of the Court also interviewed all new apprentices. The Court was con- cerned with the situation of intake of apprentices. Although there were no more than 1,400 qualified soli- citors in the Republic of Ireland, the number of those who wished to become apprentices had risen sharply in recent years. Before 1960, the number of apprentices entering the profession did not exceed forty. This number had risen to fifty in 1961, to eighty-two in 1964, to 129 in 1967, and to no less than 192 in 1971. Although better facilities were now available, it was

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