The Gazette 1975

Solicitor opening a branch office above the office of a Building Society There would be no objection, provided there was a separate entrance, that there was no internal com- munication between the two offices, and that there would be no question of sharing staff. Book-keeping Examination Results 194 candidates had presented themselves for this examination in June, and 157 had passed. 9th September, 1975 National Prices Commission Inquiry Professor Lees outlined his terms of reference and indicated that Professor M. O'Donoghue, T.C.D., and Professor Bryan Carsberg, Dean of the Faculty of Accountancy, Birmingham University, would be as- sociated with him in the inquiry. He detailed his ap- proach to the inquiry and expressed the hope that he would be able to produce an interim report at least by January, .1976. Professor Lees' terms of reference are as follows: — (1) to review the total income of solicitors and in- creases in their total expenses since 1970 and, if practicable, since 1965; (2) to identify the ma i n classes of business and ex- pense and to trace their behaviour in recent years; (3) to determine to what extent there is "cross-subsidis- ation" of one class of business by another; (4) to consider "delays" in the legal system and parti- cularly those associated with (a) Court Organisa- tion and practice and (b) the Taxation of Costs; (5) to comment on the scope for increased efficiency among solicitors, for example: (a) Amalgamations of Firms; (b) the Introduction of Time Costing in preference to scale fees; (c) the elimination of Restrictive Practices; (d) improvements in Education and Training; (6) where practicable, to make comparisons with the U.K.; (7) in the light of the foregoing, to determine how far the solicitors' present claim for an Increase in Fees would be met. See President's letter re Prices Commission on p. 251.

Interest on Purchase Money for failure to close on agreed date A complaint of this nature should not be submitted to the Committee, but the parties should resolve such questions with the assistance of their solicitors, so that the contracts should be freely entered into. See Pro- tective Building Contract in Opinions of the Council on P. 19 of the 1967 Handbook. Practice of builders of including contractual term whereby disputes are to be referred to the arbi- tration of the builder's own architect or his nominee Th e Committee considered this practice objection- able, but felt it could not intervene directly. It should be pointed out in the Gazette that the purchaser can presumably refuse to execute the contract if this clause is not amended. Summer Meeting, 1976 It was decided to hold this Meeting in the Brandon Hotel, Tralee, Co. Kerry, from 7th - 9th May, 1976. Accountant for purposes of Solicitors' Accounts Regulations, 1970

Mr. P. J. Connolly was appointed to this post.

24th July, 1975 Communications Course

Arrangements had been made with the Church of Ireland Divinity Hostel, Dublin, to accommodate 12 -

14 solicitors who had volunteered. County Council Housing Loans

It was decided that the Society should compile a Register of Waivers. All present and future waivers granted by the Council of the Society should then be recorded in it. Fee for taxation payable to Revenue Commis- sioners Th e Revenue Commissioners insisted this should be payable by Bank draft. The solicitor concerned should make arrangements with the Revenue Com- missioners that his cheque would be acceptable in future.

Examination Results: Examination First Irish

Exemptions

Candidates 242 76 177

Passed 233 73 93

Second Irish Preliminary

7 2

254