The Gazette 1993

GAZETTE

JULY/AUGUST 1993

of law and economics scholars and practitioners.

minimum requirements for health and safety in specific areas of working activities. Also implemented by these regulations is Council Directive 91/383/EEC of 25 June, 1991 on measures to improve safety and health at work of workers with a fixed duration or temporary employment relationship. These regulations also revise and update existing legal requirements concerning the safe use of electricity in the workplace, the provision of first-aid facilities and the procedures governing the notification to the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health of accidents and dangerous occurrences. The regulations impose general and specific obligations on employers with regard to the evaluation and reduction of the exposure of employees to occupational risk and hazards, the development of risk prevention policies, consultation, training and information of workers and health surveillance. Employees are also obliged by these regulations to cooperate with employers in matters relating to the protection of their own safety and health at work. The regulations cost £6.45 and may be obtained from the Government Publications Sale Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. Postage is £1.20 extra. •

Solicitors and "Cut-Price" Conveyancing

CIEL has recently introduced an Information Sheet to its range of publications. The Information Sheet provides a detailed commentary on a competition policy issues in either Ireland or abroad. It looks at the international dimension to EC competition policy and the implications for Irish businesses. A new book, The Efficiency of Law is due for publication later this year. General details are available from Dr. Patrick McNutt at CIEL, University College Galway, telephone, 091 24411 or 091 26786 or fax: 091 24130. The Safety, Health And Welfare At Work (General Application) Regulations, 1993. (S.I. No. 44 of 1993) affect all employers and cast onerous duties on them. These regulations extend the requirements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 , and implement Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June, 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the health and safety of workers at the work place. The regulations also implement five related directives which set down Regulations for all Employers

Solicitors in Ireland are concerned about "cut-price' conveyancing but they are not alone. Solicitors in the UK are alarmed at the growing incidence of "cut-price" conveyancing by colleagues desperate to secure work. They are calling on the UK Some solicitors in England were so concerned about the practice of "cut- j price" conveyancing that they released details to the media. ( The Times, June 26, 1993). Mr. Tony Holland , a former President of the UK Law Society, said | that the results of price competition in j recent years among solicitors had been disastrous for standards of work. He j ! noted that the quality of work had | dropped dramatically and carelessness Í i was rife. Some solicitors were charging j a fee of £125 sterling for a conveyanc- ing transfer. He stated that it was just j not possible to transfer property and j advise clients for such a sum. J j had rejected the idea of scale fees or regulation. However, the Law Society had asked all local law societies in England and Wales to investigate : conveyancing charges in their areas and to report back with names of firms ! whose fees appeared to be dangerously low and a potential danger to clients. 1 A trawl of press advertisements for "cut-price" conveyancing was also being made. The Society would then examine them to see if there was any link between those firms whose charges were unrealistic (not just low) and claims on the indemnity fund for | negligence. ! The Law Society Council in the UK 1 Law Society to stamp out the ; practice.

Centre in Economics and Law

The Centre of Economics and Law (CIEL) at UCG publishes the successful half-yearly CIEL Newsletter which has subscribers at home and abroad. CIEL is affiliated with the European Association of Law and Economics, an international network