The Gazette 1971

King's Hospital The increasing demand by the profession for services from the Society and activities in connection with legal education have greatly expanded the Society's work and the need for office accommodation and staff. As mem- bers are fully aware the area and number of the ser- vices of the Society has greatly increased during recent years. It is the ambition of the Council to increase and develop this side of the Society's work. There is a grow- ing need for increased communication and information which seriously taxes the capacity of the general practi- tioner to keep abreast of the continual change in the law and one of the fields in which the Society can be of great value to members is by promoting communi- cations and publications of every kind. In recent years it became apparent that the accommodation in the Solicitors' Buildings, although adequate in the past, would be insufficient to meet the needs of the future. The number of apprentices has greatly increased dur- ing the past ten years and there is no falling off in the number of entrants. It became necessary to obtain other accommodation in Dublin for holding examinations and lectures and apprentices are at present attending the Society's law courses in a hall rented from the Representative Church Body in St. Andrew Street. This accommodation, however, is almost over-taxed and the present arrangements cannot be regarded as satisfactory. In the Summer of 1968 the Council became aware that the King's Hospital School at Blackhall Place was on the market. The property consists of the school buil- dings with about five and a half acres of land fronting on Blackhall Place, about ten minutes walk from the Four Courts. King's Hospital is one of the historic buildings in Dublin with a magnificent frontage erected by the architect Thomas Ivory in the mid eighteenth century. It is subject to a preservation order under the Planning Act, 1963, and is obviously a building of great historical and artistic importance. Having taken the best advice available as to the condition of the buil- dings the Council decided to purchase it for a sum of £105,000. The premises have now been vacated by the school authorities and the purchase has been completed. The present floor area of the Solicitors' Buildings is approximately 20,000 square feet and over double that area will be available in the King's Hospital buildings. Very extensive and expensive renovations and alter- ations will be necessary at King's Hospital because, obviously, the buildings which were erected for a school about the year 1750, while adequate in space, are not suitable for modern offices, members' quarters and a law school without considerable structural and other alterations. The Council are, therefore, faced with a sizeable financial problem. Unfortunately building costs have escalated since the property was purchased over two years ago and while satisfied that value for money has been obtained the development of the plan dependis upon finding substantial additional financial resources The Solicitors' Buildings The Solicitors' Buildings—at present owned by the Society—were formerly held under a lease dated 29th June 1874 from the Society of King's Inns to the Law Society for a term of 999 years at the yearly rent of 1/- with a benefit of a covenant by the lessors to rebuild and reinstate the premises in the event (which happened in 1922) of their destruction or damage by fire. The Society of King's Inns and the Law Society both lodged claims against the Government under the Damage to Property Act after 1922. An arrangement was made between the Government, the King's Inns and the Society whereby the State would provide equiva-

lent accommodation for the several bodies in the Four Courts in satisfaction of the statutory claims for com- pensation. The premises provided for the Society under this arrangement, which have been occupied by the Society since 1931 were not of the same size as the premises held under the lease of 1874. Part of the site of the new premises was owned by the Society of King's Inns in fee simple and the remainder was State property. The State could not legally grant a lease longer than 99 years and the Council of the Society were unwilling to accept a lease for so short a term in substitution for their rights under the lease of 1874. The difficulty was resolved in the following manner. In consideration of a release by the Society on the claim against the Hon. Society of King's Inns under the lessor's covenant to reinstate the premises the Benchers granted the Society the fee simple of the former Solicitors' Buildings (now partly occupied by the Bar Council) and its precincts. By lease dated 20th July 1954 the Society demised to the Commissioners of Public Works the premises com- prised in the conveyance for a term of 99 years from 7th September 1954 at the yearly rent of 1/-. By lease of the same date, registered immediately afterwards, the Minister for Finance and the Commissioners of Public Works demised to the Society the apartments occupied in the present Solicitors' Buildings for 99 years from 7th September 1954 at the yearly rent of 1/-. The State are under a covenant to maintain the roof and structure of the Solicitors' Buildings and to provide a number of other services on very favourable terms for the Society. The Society's obligations under the lease are in fact restricted to painting the exterior and the interior and heating, lighting and similar services are supplied at public service rates. The Society has, there- fore, a valuable interest in the Solicitors' Buildings and is at present in negotiation with the Government of a surrender of the lease. It will obviously be impracticable for the Society to vacate the Solicitors' Buildings unless the terms are such as to enable the Society to carry out and complete the building and other work at King's Hospital. Account must also be taken of the additional costs of maintaining and servicing King's Hospital , which will be substantially greater than the present annual charges for the Solicitors' Buildings. The Future Legal education and provision of legal services is a mat- ter of public interest and concern. The Government and both branches of the solicitors profession have a vital interest in this field. The provision of a proper legal service for the public depends upon adequate Court and ancillary office accommodation, the establishment and maintenance of a well-equipped and staffed law school and facilities for continuing education of practi- tioners between the Government and the profession. They are approaching the problem on that basis. The financial problem is more sizeable now than it was two years ago and if the past experience of escalating build- ing costs increases it will be more serious in the years to come. You mav rest assured, however, that the Council and the committee dealing with this matter under the chairmanship of Mr. Peter D. M. Prentice are devoting immense energy to its solution in the interests, not alone of the Society, but of the broad aim of providing better facilities for the administration of justice and legal

education for students and practitioners. Fair Trades Commission—Time Costing

The Third Programmé for Economic and Social Devel- opment 1969-1970 contained references to unsatisfactory restrictive practices said to be found almost everywhere not only among members of trade unions but in the

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