The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

A P R I L / MAY 1996

P R E S I D E N T 'S

M E S S A G E

A Changing Profession

and the profession would benefit as a result of such input.

appointments of solicitors to the Circuit Court bench and I think I speak on behalf of the profession when I say that these appointments should meet with universal approval and that the relationship between both branches of the profession will be cemented rather than widened as q result. It is my own personal wish that this relationship should be fostered and I will continue during my term of office to do what I can to ensure that this happens. Elsewhere you will read, regrettably, a lengthy obituary list and of course our sympathy goes to the relatives of those members of the profession with special condolences to Don Binchv on the death of his wife, Joan. She was a truly lovely lady and gracious hostess during Don's year of office as President. It is a measure of Don's great and unselfish commitment to the profession that he managed so extremely well the Chairmanship of the Review Group during what can only have been a very traumatic year for him. He deserves the unstinted thanks of the profession and its continued support in the years ahead.

Since I last wrote to you, the meeting of the membership to discuss the Review Group's Report was held and I must confess that I was somewhat disappointed at the numbers who attended this meeting. When one considers what was involved and the impact the proposed amendments would have on the profession as a whole, I felt that it warranted the attention of the profession at large and that the attendance might therefore be greater than heretofore. However, those who were in attendance did not hesitate to have a say in the proceedings and I was certainly more than pleased with the input whether it was of a critical nature or otherwise. It is only by facing up to perceived difficulties or apparent shortcomings that we can progress and I am quite sure that the implementation of the Review Group's recommendations will prove to be a boon to the profession in later years. Unfortunately, education is the area which still causes greatest difficulty and our attempts to act in a fair and reasonable manner following upon the decision in the Bloomer case has clearly not met with universal approval. We are now faced with some more court proceedings and suffice it to say that these will be met in a reasonable and fair manner and hopefully we will arrive at a solution which will allow us to progress with our education policy unhindered. The profession will have noted the recent appointments to the Supreme Court and the High Court and, on your behalf, may I congratulate those who have been honoured in this way. They are of the highest calibre and we can have no reservations about the membership of the courts while appointments of this calibre are being made. We await with interest the first

Andrew F. Smyth Since taking up office approximately five months ago I have attended a number of conferences and meetings all of which seem to focus on the changing patterns in the legal profession. One of these discussions was under the heading 'Law in the Costello, Peter Sutherland S.C. and John Dunne, the Director General of IBEC. Each made very significant and constructive comments but the underlying suggestion was that members of the legal profession because of their training and expertise can suitably fit into other business areas provided they are prepared to widen their horizons as it were and meet the challenges which such involvement would undoubtedly bring to them. It is quite properly pointed out that the profession and lawyers in general are inclined to be somewhat hide-bound by tradition and somewhat narrow in their outlook insofar as they judge matters from a legalistic point of view rather than a business point of view. I certainly feel that there are members of the profession who are quite capable of having a major impact on business if they so wish and I am equally certain that both business Market Place' and the eminent speakers included Mr. Justice

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