The Gazette 1993

GAZETTE

JULY/AUGUST 1993

Re: Compulsory Irish Requirement Dear Editor, The arguments advanced in relation to the Irish Language in the article The Numbers Game in the May issue of the Gazette are, in my opinion, fundamentally flawed. The selection of the words in bold capitals "I have never in twenty years of practice had a client who wanted to conduct his business in Irish" is regrettable. It not only misrepresents the facts viewed from a country-wide perspective, but it also appears designed to undermine the daily effectiveness and usage of the language in the legal system. Thankfully, my experience contrasts greatly with that attributed to Mr. O'Connor, as I find by a conservative estimate that 50% of my clients

conduct their business through the medium of Irish. It is the wish of many to conduct their dealings with all wings of the State apparatus and with the judicial system exclusively through Irish. It is important that no impediments, be they direct or through inference, are placed in their way in their lawful pursuance of that objective. Furthermore, the personal nature of many legal documents e.g. wills, certificates of incorporation, deeds, summonses, etc., dictate that they should be made available in the preferred language of the citizen, be that in Irish as is often the case. Whilst not in any way doubting the sincerity of the motives of the proponents of the alternative to the

statutory protection enshrined in the Solicitors' Act, the latter is nevertheless justified as an absolute safeguard against abuses by a future Law Society Council. Much criticism is levelled at the Government in the article but they are to be commended in not shirking from their responsibilities in insisting on the retention of the Irish examination in their proposed Solicitors' Bill. The subtle "Machiavellian" threat issued to the Government is also in poor taste. A simpler and much more constructive approach would be for the Law Society to introduce a more mean- ingful Irish examination, by tailoring and adapting same to the current and practical needs of the profession. Is mise, Antoin Delap •

Irish Health

Publication date: 20 May 1993

I NSAN I TY, PSYCHI ATRY A NT) CR IMI NAL RES PONS I B I L I TY FINBARR McAULEY This book is about the way in which mental disorder affects criminal responsibility. Unlike the standard treatments of this subject, which tend to concentrate on the jurisprudence of the insanity defence, the approach set out here also draws heavily on the scientific literature on mental illness. There are chapters on all aspects of the insanity defence, including the M'Naghten Rules, the notion of volitional insanity as articulated by the Irish Supreme Court, the form of the insanity verdict, the proper limits of psychiatric evidence, the disposition of persons acquitted on the grounds of insanity etc. Irish law and practice provide the core of the book, although there is a wealth of comparative material drawn from a wide range of common-law jurisdic- tions. ISBN 1-85800-011-4 £37.50.

YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH

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