The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1996

President's Prize A n d y S m y t h ' s P r e s i d e n t 's P r i ze w a s h e ld at C i ty W e s t G o lf C l u b on the 29 J u l y, 1996. O n e h u n d r ed a nd f o u r ^ S. c o l l e a g u es / \ p a r t i c i p a t ed a nd the I

Footnotes 1. See generally Bergeron J.H. 'Setting the Cat among the Pigeons: The Competition Act and Restraint of Trade in Employment Contracts' Vol. 9 (1990-1993) JISLL 57. 2. (1621) Nov. 98; sub nom. Jollie -v- Broads 2 Rol. Rep. 201. 3. Treitel G.J. 'The Law of Contract' (8th ed„ 1991, London, Sweet & Maxwell) at 422. 4. Esso Petroleum Co. Ltd -v- Harpers Garage (Southport) Ltd [1968] AC 269. 5. Masterfoods Ltd t/a Mars Ireland -v- HB Ice Cream Ltd and HB Ice Cream -v- Masterfoods Ltd t/a/Mars Ireland High Court, Keane J. 28 May 1992. 6. Kerry Co-Operative Creameries Ltd -v- An Bord Bainne Co-Operative Ltd [1991 ILRM 851. 7. Ungoed-Thomas J. in Texaco Ltd -v- Mulberry Filling Station Ltd [ 1972) 1 All ER 513. 8. [1979] ILRM 79. 9. per O'Higgins C.J. at 92. 10. O'Hare P. loc. cit. at 81. 11 . Peter Mark/Majella Stapleton, Decision No. 13 of 13 February 1993. 12. Apex Fire Protection Ltd/Noel Murtagh, Decision No. 20 of 10 June 1993. 13. Notice in Respect of Shopping Centre Leases, dated 2 September 1993. 14. Competition Authority Decision No. 283 of 4 February 1994. 15. Cooke J.D. 'EC Caselaw as a Guide to Interpretation and Application of the Legislation' in "The New Competition Legislation' ed. Findlater J., ICEL (1991) 45 at 45. 16. Cooke J.D. 'The Competition Act: One Year On-Resolving the EC/Irish Law Dichotomy' in 'Key Aspects of Irish Competition Law and Practice' ed. Schuster A., ICEL (1994) 84 at 85. 17. Reuter/BASE OJ [1976] L254/40, [1976] 2 CMLR D44. 18. Case 42/84 [ 1985] ECR 2545. 19. at 2571. 20. loc. cit. at 64. 21. [1987] ILRM 702. 22. at 704. 23. Decision No. 20, 10 June 1993. 24. Decision No. 10 of 23 October 1992. 25. Cooke J.D. loc. cit. at footnote 20 at 83. 26. [1995] I I.R. 89. 27. at 97. 28. at 95. 29. at 97. 30. I am grateful to Eoin O'Dell and Cathrina Keville for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article. Any errors or opinions expressed are my own. • BETTER MANAGEMENT How to maximise the benefit of computerisation and good financial management Contact: ECF LIMITED Telephone 01 2843511

the H i g h C o u rt i mp l i c i t ly testing the validity of a restraint of t r a de by r e f e r e n ce to the criteria d e v e l o p ed by the E u r o p e an C o u rt r a t h er than by a m o r e traditional c o n s i d e r a t i on of the c o m m o n l aw p r i n c i p l e s. It is a r g u a b le that M u r p h y J. w a s s u g g e s t i ng that the test g o v e r n i ng the validity of restrictive c o v e n a n ts is the s a m e u n d er E u r o p e an law, the C o m p e t i t i on A ct a n d the c o m m o n l aw as, h a v i ng a c c e p t ed that " t he a p p l i c a b le legal p r o v i s i o ns w e re c o r r e c t ly stated in Remia"~ , he w e nt on to s e v er t he r e l e v a nt c o v e n a nt "in a c c o r d a n ce w i th the p r i n c i p l es well H o w e v e r, s i n c e, to d a t e, the criteria of r e a s o n a b le in t he p u b l ic interest h as not f o r m e d a part of E u r o p e an l aw a nd is not r e p r e s e n t ed in the C o m p e t i t i on Act, the c o m m o n l aw m u st be i n t e r p r e t ed as p r o v i d i ng that a d d i t i o n al test. A s that c o m m o n l aw test of r e a s o n a b le in the p u b l ic interest w a s not directly r e l e v a nt to this c a s e it c a n b e a s s u m ed that M u r p h y J. did not i n t e nd to reject this test as n ot b e i ng part of the Irish l aw on r e s t r a i n ts of trade. e s t a b l i s h ed at c o m m o n l aw a nd r e c o g n i s ed in the A ct of 1991"" 9 . It is s u b m i t t ed that t he p r i n c i p le c o n s i d e r a t i o ns in a d j u d i c a t i ng u p on the v a l i d i ty of a n y restrictive c o v e n a nt are its c omp a t i b i l i ty w i th S e c t i on 4 a nd w i th the g e n e r al test d e v e l o p ed by the E u r o p e an C o u r t, w h i c h a s ks w h e t h er the restraint is n e c e s s a ry f o r l e g i t i ma te p r o t e c t i on of an u n d e r t a k i ng a nd t he d e v e l o p m e nt of c o m p e t i t i on w i t h in the r e l e v a nt m a r k et and is r e a s o n a b le in t e r ms of t i me, s p a ce a n d s u b j e ct ma t t e r. In a d d i t i on t he criteria of p u b l ic interest, d e v e l o p ed by t he Irish C o u r t s, m u st be a p p l i e d. It w o u l d s e e m that the E u r o p e an test b e a rs a m a r k e d r e s e m b l a n ce to m a n y e l e m e n ts of t he c o m m o n l aw tests. W h e t h e r o r not t he C o m p e t i t i on A ct c a n b e i n t e r p r e t ed i n d e p e n d e n t ly of E u r o p e an l a w, t he i n t e r v e n t i on of the A c t i n to t he a r ea of restrictive c o v e n a n ts s h o u ld not b e v i e w ed as a r a d i c al d e p a r t u re f r o m t he c o m m o n l a w d o c t r i n e, b ut r a t h er as c o m p a t i b le w i th a n d c o m p l i m e n t a ry to a c o n c e pt that h a d f o r m e d a vital part of c o mm e r c i al life s i n ce the M i d d l e A g e s. 5. Conclusion

Result: W i n n e r:

A l an M i t c h e l l, L o n g f o r d, H / C 8 - 4 3 p o i n t s. F r a nk W a r d , D u b l i n, H / C 2 2 - 4 0 points. P a d dy O ' D o h e r t y, M o n a g h a n, H / C 1 8 - 4 0 p o i n t s.

S e c o n d:

T h i r d:

The Ryan Cup W i n n e r:

H e n ry L a p p i n, H / C 1 5 - 3 7 p o i n t s. R u n n e r - u p: C y r il C o y l e, H / C 1 4 - 3 7 p o i n t s. Handicap 12 and Under W i n n e r: N o el H u g h e s, H / C 1 0 - 3 9 p o i n t s. R u n n e r - u p: R o g er B a l l a g h, H / C 6 - 3 8 p o i n t s.

Veterans Cup

j W i n n e r:

D e n is M c D o w e l l, H / C 15 - 3 6 p o i n t s.

Front Nine W i n n e r:

D i s t r i ct J u d g e Bill H a r n e t t, H / C 7 - 19 p o i n t s.

Back Nine W i n n e r:

B r i an R i g n e y, H / C 1 4 - 2 1 p o i n t s.

At the AGM the following officers were appointed for the year 1997:

C a p t a i n:

Bill J o l l ey

S e c r e t a r y: T r e a s u r e r:

H e n ry L a p p in T h o m a s D a l t on

Bill Jolley, Hon. Secretary

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