The Gazette 1995

GAZKTTKD E CE MBER1995

Perhaps many of the more recent public family rows brought to the door of the Court might have been avoided if the protagonists had taken the trouble to read this book.

and Holden's designs and the cluttered hotel style of the decor shocks the architecturally correct observer". While I have not personally visited the building and my only function is to review the publication, I must admit to being somewhat shocked.

Negligence & the Teacher

By Oliver Mahon B.L. Published by the Ennis Teachers' Centre, 1995; softback, 100 pp. IR£5.00. Although this book is primarily intended as a guide to teachers and those involved with the supervision and organisation of groups of children, the book is also of immense use to legal practitioners dealing with cases of schools' negligence. Thefirst chapter in this book contains a very lucid explanation of the funda- mentals of the law of negligence. This is followed by a more detailed chapter which considers cases involving schools negligence actions. From a presentational point of view this chapter deserves especial praise. The author uses the typical school day as a scheme within which to categorise the various incidences of negligence evident from the case law. The third chapter looks at the relevance to schools of the Safety Health & Welfare at Work Act 1989 and this is followed by what is modestly described as a "note" on Insurance. Thefifth andfinal chapter contains practical suggestions for a "suit- proof' school. A perusal of this chapter alone would provide an invaluable education for any solicitor faced with a request from teachers or those charged with the supervision of children for professional advice on how to avoid negligence actions. In the hallowed spot on the classroom wall formerly reserved for the 1916 Proclamation there should now hang a framed and abridged version of this chapter! Negligence and the Teacher is an extremely useful addition to the library of any solicitor dealing with cases of schools negligence whether on the plaintiff or defence side. As a publication whose welcomed as, hopefully, thefirst in a series of specialist texts on the practical but nonetheless fascinating topic of the legal dimension of education. Donncha O 'Connell style is not cramped by academic pretension it is to be particularly

Elma Lynch

The Law Society's Hall - An Architectural History 1823-1995 by Finch Allibone and Lynn Quiney. Published by the Law Society of England and Wales. If one likes old buildings and halls and their history, one cannot but be impressed by the architectural history of the Law Society's Hall by Einch Allibone who is curator of the Royal Institute of British Architects and Lynn Quiney who is the Librarian of the Law Society. It is a history of the actual building which now houses the Law Society and its various developments and alterations since it was first commenced. The research which obviously went into the preparation of this history is admirable and impressive. It is quite obvious from reading this volume that there was a wealth of archival material available as plans and costings and i sketches are illustrated in the history. In 1823 a committee placed | advertisements inviting designs from ! architects for the original building and Lewis Vullimny was declared the winner and was given the commission of the first part of the Law Society Building. Lewis Vullimny remained as the Law Society's architect to implement his design for many years thereafter. There were other architects who assisted the Law Society in the development after Vullimny's death and they in their own way adapted and developed the building. These additions and adaptations since 1823 were necessary to accommodate the increasing functions and numbers in the profession which are extensively described in the history. One must agree with a particular sentence in the history "the contrast between the elegant simplicity of the Vullimny's

Elma Lynch

A Brief History of the Law Society

by David Sugarman. Published by The Law Society of England and Wales

: The Law Society of England and Wales celebrated 150 years of its existence j this year on the 26th of February. | It was a special anniversary for the Law Society as 150 years before then the Society surrendered its first Royal ! Charter and in its place the Crown 1 granted a new Charter which , constituted the foundation document of j : the Society. In order to celebrate this, | the Law Society has published a brief history under the authorship of David Sugarman who is a Professor of Law at Lancaster University. It is a short history of the development of the solicitors' profession in England since the 1550s to the present day and the development of the i Society and its functions. When one reads it, one cannot but have 1 admiration for the bravery and foresight of the original promoters of the Law Society and indeed its history also mirrors a social history of the developments both in England and Ireland during that period. The more recent developments are particularly interesting and while it is not an in- depth study, it is certainly a bird's eye view of history. Its crowing glory in my view is the photograph of Mr Justice Sachs who practised as a solicitor in Manchester

and became the first person to be appointed a High Court Judge who had not previously qualified as a barrister.

"Negligence & The Teacher" By Oliver Mahon B.L. I Available from The Ennis Teachers' Centre Price £5.85/Copy Inc. Postage Tel: 065 / 21161 Fax: 065 / 42930 E-Mail: kkennedy@iol.ie

Elma Lynch

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