The Gazette 1978

GAZETTE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1978

to a ceiling of £1 million. The President further stated that, as regards the Compensation Fund one must ensure that there will be adequate funds to meet any contingency that may arise. Mr. Gerard Doyle pointed out that £25,000 was the statutory minimum. The President stated that the eventual target was £1 million which could only be achieved gradually. An Insurance Premium was provided to indemnify the Scheme, and he explained the difficulties with regard to indemnity in answer to Mr. T. C. Gerard 0*Mahony. The Director General stated that Reports were prepared up to 30 September in every year, and that every effort was made to get these Reports out in time. Mr. William A. Osborne replied to specific details asked by Mr. Colm Price about the Balance Sheet. Mr. John Gleeson then made the point that, as the bulk of the English Law Reports would be kept in future in Blackhall Place, there would be no possibility of a Solicitor arguing any case which would require these authorities in the Four Courts. Mr. Michael CMahony mentioned that the American Law Reports were not available at the Bar library and that when they were needed, they had to be brought down from the King's Inns. Mr. Gleeson pointed out that it is only very rarely that American Law Reports were required in arguing cases in our Courts and that they would not be nearly as indispensible as the English Law Reports. He said that he had learned that the Director General had informed the English Law Society, in response to a query, that it was expected that when the new courses of training for young Solicitors came into operation, the new Solicitors would be much more likely to argue their own cases. He expressed the opinion that they would be very much impeded from doing so under the proposed division of the Library. Mr. John Buckley in reply, stated that, although the main Library would be in Blackhall Place, it was intended to provide a Library for practitioners in the Four Courts. He mentioned in detail the Reports, Journals and Textbooks which a Library Sub-Committee had recommended should remain in the Four Courts. Bound copies of the Journal of the European Communities will be kept in the Four Courts while a microfilm edition will be available in Blackhall Place. As the Four Courts Library would be essentially a practitioner's Library, additions would only be made in the light of experience gained. Mr. Gleeson emphasised that if books were required in Court urgently, it would be most inconvenient to have to collect them in Blackhall Place. While Mr. Hurley, the Librarian of the Law Library, had a personal arrangement with Mr. Gavan Duffy to exchange books, this arrangement could hot be extended. It was essential to emphasise that English Reports were used in the Courts every day. Mr. Brendan Allen replied that Counsel could obtain those Reports for themselves from the Law Library, and that it was essential for solicitors to have a professional law library. Mr. Quentin Crivon expressed concern at the failure of the Society to reply to correspondence written by members. In particular he cited a case of a complaint which had been made by one member against another in January, 1974, anchnoted that-in this particular case, no action appeared to have been taken by the Society in respect of the complaint and repeated letters elicited only acknowledgment cards. Mr. Crivon pointed out that if the public made a complaint against a Solicitor, the Solicitor concerned would be expected to reply to the Society within seven days as otherwise drastic action would be threatened, and sometimes carried out. Members were

entitled to receive service for which they paid handsomely. The President replied that he would take up the" complaint with the Chairman of the Registrar's Committee. Mr. David Plgot, in replying, said that as Chairman of the Registrar's Committee he would ensure that the complaint was fully investigated. The following motion was proposed by Mr. Gerald Hlckey, Chairman of the Finance Committee, and seconded by Mr. Walter Beatty. That bye-law 3 of the Society be revoked and that the following bye-law be submitted: "The annual membership subscription shall be — For a practising member who has been admitted to the roll of Solicitors for three years or upwards, £40; For a practising member who has been admitted to the roll of Solicitors for less than three years, £20; For all other members, £10; Or such sum or sums as the Society in General Meeting may from time to time determine, and shall be payable in advance on 6th January, in each year or on acceptance as a member provided that a new member accepted and joining the Society for the first time after 1st July in any year shall be required to pay only half the appropriate subscription to the following January 5th and such new member shall be entitled to vote at the then ensuing election for the Council provided that he shall have been a member at least the week before the date of the election". Mr. Hickey explained that unfortunately the increased subscription was absolutely essential in order to balance the budget. Mr. Patrick Noonan objected strongly to the increase since country members had to pay town agents. Mr. Francis Daly and Mr. Adrian Bourke asked whether, in view of the fact that country members would not use the facilities in Blackhall Place regularly, a plan could be devised whereby a lower subscription could be applied to them. Miss Carmcl Kfllecn, as a local authority Solicitor, also objected to the increase. She maintained that such Solicitors should be allowed membership at half fee. Mr. Hickey stressed that the Finance Committee had considered this matter in depth, and had reached the conclusion that these increases were absolutely necessary. The annual subscription for non-practising Solicitors remained at £10.00 but it was not possible to accede to any further reductions in subscription. In reply to Mr. Thomas Costelloe, Mr. Joseph Dundon stressed that the amount of the Compensation Fund had been lowered. It would not be right to differentiate between city and country members, and it was essential in order to maintain the unity of the profession that there be one subscription for all. The President then put this resolution before the meeting, and it was declared passed. The date of the next Annual General Meeting was fixed for 11.00 a.m. on Friday, 17th November, 1978. The Director General explained that the Council Meeting would be held at 2.30 p.m. on that day and that in future the Annual Dinner Dance of the Society would be held on the Friday evening instead of Thursday. Mr. Thomas Costelloe and Mr. T. C. Gerard O'Mahony asked the Meeting to take note of the continuous services which Mr. Gavan Duffy had rendered and was rendering to the members in providing an efficient up-to-date service in the Library. The President said he sincerely appreciated the remarks of those paying tribute to Mr. Gavan Duffy and expressed the hope that his services would continue to be available