The Gazette 1979

GAZETTE

JULY-AUGUST

1979

I would like to pay a tribute to the Profession for its generosity in committing to the project a total, so far, of approximately £450 , 000 of which approximately £250,000 has already been paid. I should, of course, sound a note of warning that we need another £250,000, at least, to pay off our present term loan in respect of the property, and I would appeal to the members of the Profession who have not yet subscribed, to do so as soon as possible. With regard to Blackhall Place itself, I would like to say that it is proving very successful indeed in attracting functions, and its bedroom accommodation is very well utilized. We shortly hope to provide complete lunch facilities for members, and I hope that you will bear in mind the continuing level of first class facilities in Blackhall Place, and make the fullest use of them. The future of the Profession in Ireland Lastly, I would like to express some views with regard to the future of the Profession. A very interesing forecast with regard to Ireland was referred to at the Irish Management Institute Meeting at Killarney last week-end. This forecast, which I understand is based on E.E.C. projections, says that it is highly probable that within ten years time, Ireland will be wealthier in terms of per capita income than the United Kingdom. It is evident to us all that there has been a vast increase in the last ten years in the prosperity and industrializa- tion of the country, and it seems highly likely that this progress will be maintained on an overall basis, even if some setbacks occur from time to time, such as the present serious wave of industrial disturbances. With the greatly increasing prosperity of the country, I think that increasing demands will be made on the legal Profession, and this, in turn, will give the Profession the opportunity of greater prosperity than it has ever enjoyed before. I think however, the Profession has got to be very care- ful that it takes appropriate measures to cope with increased demands. A most important measure, in my view, must be the achievement of considerably increased productivity. If a particular Solicitor today able to deal with two matters in one day, whether they be Company Law matters, Conveyancing matters or Litigation matters, (and when I say, deal with, I mean carry out the main operation in relation to such matters, such as drafting a Deed and Requisitions in relation to Conveyancing, or drafting the main Agreements in relation to a Company Law matter), — if a Solicitor is able to carry out two such matters in one day at present, in a few years time he will have to be able to carry out three, or, possibly, even four such matters, in one day, if he is to take advantage of the greatly increased level of work, which I believe will be available. Such an increase in productivity can obviously not be made without further streamlining of our present procedures, without greatly increased usage of forms, pre- cedent banks and general mechanization of legal work, and without better organisation of work between Solicitors and their assistants. I feel that the Law Society could play a part in supplying the Profession with a very wide range of

If proper and reasonable levels for taxed costs are not approved very quickly, it is the successful litigant who will suffer, finding that his damages are reduced by having to bear a substantial proportion of his own costs. It is quite impossible for Solicitors to bear the vastly increased expenses that have occurred since 1975, without any increase in the level of costs which a successful litigant can tax. Legal aid With regard to the question of Legal Aid, I do not wish at present to enter into any detailed discussion, since the introduction of a scheme has only just been announced and the detailed arrangements must yet be considered by the Council of the Society. However in a press interview, giving my personal reactions, I have said that I wel- comed the scheme generally, especially if it was as com- prehensive as it proposed and not merely limited to Family Law, Landlord & Tenant etc. I said I hoped it might be extended to representation before the tribunals in due course. I also hoped that in future when the scheme was fully established, it would be possible to widen it to allow persons aided under the scheme their own choice of Solicitor in certain cases. I welcomed the compulsory charges as it would be some deterrent to people with grievances and to cranks who might otherwise take up too much of the law centres time. Finally I said I believed the scheme would of necessity lead to a greatly increased level of appearances by Solicitors without Counsel in the High Court and Circuit Court etc., and expressed the ho_pe that the present less than friendly attitude of some judges to the solicitors appearing before them would undergo a change for the better. I do feel however, that the Society might well consider recommending to the Profession that it should provide an Advice Service to all persons requiring same, whether new clients or existing clients of any office, on the basis of a maximum charge for a half hour's interview and advice. Such a scheme at present operates in England with the backing of the Law Society, at a charge of £7.50 per half hour. I feel that this might prove acceptable to the Irish public, and be widely availed of, particularly with the vastly increased numbers of Solicitors now practising in the Dublin area. Discipline With regard to the Society's Regularity functions — I would like to emphasize strongly that the Society proposes to take a tough line with regard to failure to produce Accounting Certificates. The excuse that a particular Solicitor's Accountant is under pressure, and in arrears, can no longer be accepted. The vastly increased property values of to-day, and the immensely increased awards of compensation in Court, made the impact of any default on the Society's Compensation Fund very much greater. I would like to emphasize that the Registrar's Committee, and the Interview Board and Disciplinary Committee are continuing to work very hard, despite the postal strike, and there is a determination in the Society to see that the small number, I would say, the very small number, of persistent offenders are properly dealt with for the protection both of the public, the Society and the remaining members of the Profession. Headquarters in Blackball Place With regard to the question of funding Blackhall Place,

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