The Gazette 1992

JUNE 1992

GAZETTE

Law Soc i ety Library

Law Reports, Legislation and other materials.

alphabetically by plaintiff's name. A comprehensive subject index is jointly produced by the Bar Council and the Law Society and this is published twice yearly with annual consolidations. This index, commonly known as the "Pink Pages"* (1) includes a short keyword summary of each case and is circulated to every member of the Society through the Gazette. It is one of the most important bibliographical tools available to the case researcher and is worth keeping for permanent reference. As well as the published Pink Pages the library staff have access to as yet unpublished summaries which include very current material. These summaries can be inspected by members at any time. A number of judgments are selected by the Law Reporting Council for inclusion in the Irish Reports. The library also subscribes to the other main series, the Irish Law Reports Monthly and holds the latter's predecessor, the Irish Law Times Reports from their origin in 1871. The Irish Times is bought on a daily basis and its Law Report is kept for reference purposes. The various other older series of Irish Law Reports dating back to 1827 are also stocked. The key to finding reported cases is the Irish Digest, a multi-volume work now covering the period 1867-1988. A substantial number of queries on Irish case law received by the library can be solved by use of the Digests in tandem with the "Pink Pages". In the Labour Law area the library receives the decisions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal. Unfortunately as yet no master index of these decisions has been published, so the library can only trace a decision where the reference number assigned to the case by the

(Holdings in EC law were described in the April 1992 Gazette at page 113). The Law Society library provides a wide range of services to members enabling them to carry out effective legal research which in turn enhances the service they can give to their clients. In addition to readers who call personally to the library, the staff handle approx. 300 queries per month. (See charges for this service overleaf). These range from straightforward requests for a copy of a specific law report e.g. "Have you got a copy of P & F Sharpe Ltd. -v- Dublin County Council [1989] I.R. 712" to the more complicated subject search which necessitates devising a search strategy spanning the various source materials available in the library. e.g. " I need all statutory and case law, articles and textbooks on medical negligence." A brief outline of the library's holdings in the area of law reports and legislation, and how these are accessed by the use of indices follows. Case Law - Ireland The library receives transcripts of all written judgments delivered by the High Court, Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeal. Supreme Court judgments are generally available within 2 weeks of date of delivery; High Court judgments are circulated by the Central Office usually within 6-8 weeks of delivery, but it can be longer.

A view of the Law Society Library

EAT is known. A new series of Law Reports, the Employment Law Reports has been published by Round Hall Press, and in this selected decisions of the EAT are reported. The Federation of Irish Employers has recently published a casebook on unfair dismissal law which is a most useful reference work in this field.*(2)

Case Law - UK Apart from the official Law Reports

produced by the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for

England & Wales there is a range of commercially produced series of law reports, many subject-oriented, which provide very good coverage. The library subscribes to most of these and in the rare case where a member requires an unreported English decision this can be ordered from a UK agency. Current Law, which is published by Sweet & Maxwell is a monthly index of UK cases, containing both a case citator, a subject list and a very useful list

of current articles and books published. It complements the official Index to the Law

Reports,

The library staff maintain an index of judgments which is arranged

(Red Index).

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