The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

OCTOBER 1996

N E WS

Garda slammed for 'media circus'

L a w S o c i e ty P r e s i d e nt A n d r e w S m y t h h as s t r o n g ly criticised t he G a r d a ' s h a n d l i ng of their visit to D u b l in solicitors M E H a n a h oe a nd C o earlier this m o n t h. In a letter to the G a r d a C o mm i s s i o n e r, P a t r i ck B y r n e, M r S m y t h c o n d e m n ed t he tip-off to the m e d i a that led to p h o t o g r a p h e rs a nd j o u r n a l i s ts a r r i v i ng o u t s i de the firm's o f f i c es at t he s a m e t i me as the G a r d a t e a m. F o l l o w i ng t he visit b y d e t e c t i v es a nd the a t t e n d a nt p u b l i c i t y, the L a w S o c i e ty i s s u ed a s t a t e m e nt s u p p o r t i ng the firm a n d c o n d e m n i ng 'in t he s t r o n g e st p o s s i b le t e r m s' the g a r da tip-off. 'It m i g ht r e a s o n a b ly be c o n c l u d e d ', the S o c i e ty said, 'that this leak w a s c a l c u l a t ed to c r e a te a m e d ia c i r c us w h i ch c o u ld s e r i o u s ly d a m a g e the r e p u t a t i on of the s o l i c i t o r 's firm c o n c e r n e d '. ' L e st t h e re b e a ny d o u bt w h a t s o e v e r, the L a w S o c i e ty w a n ts to m a k e it c l e ar that t he l aw firm of M i c h a el E H a n a h oe a nd C o , a nd all of t he solicitors in that firm, h a v e a l w a ys b e en a n d r e m a in in T h e C o n n e m a ra C o a st Ho t e l, G a l w a y, w a s t he v e n ue f or t he S o c i e ty of Y o u n g S o l i c i t o r s' S p r i ng C o n f e r e n ce earlier this year. T h e c o n f e r e n ce w a s r un in c o n j u n c t i on w i th t he N o r t h e rn I r e l a nd Y o u n g S o l i c i t o rs A s s o c i a t i o n, a nd w a s a t t e n d ed by s o m e 180 solicitors a n d g u e s t s. T h e l e c t u r es o n S a t u r d ay b e g an w i th a p r e s e n t a t i on by T o m C a r n e y, solicitor a n d lecturer in U C G , on t he u n f a ir c o n t r a ct t e r ms legislation, a nd w a s f o l l o w ed b y a l e c t u re o n " T h e internet f o r l a w y e r s" b y B r i an C a r r o l l, B L . T h i s l o o k ed at b o th its u s e f u l n e ss f o r r e s e a r ch a n d c o mm u n i c a t i on a nd at s o m e of t he legal i s s u es a r i s i ng f r o m t he w i d e s p r e ad u s e a n d a b u se of t he internet. L a w l i nk p r o v i d ed a " l i v e" o n - l i ne d e m o n s t r a t i on of s o m e of t he s e r v i c es a l r e a dy a v a i l a b le

p e r f e c t ly g o o d s t a n d i ng w i th the S o c i e t y '.

T h e s t a t e m e nt a l so p o i n t ed o ut that the firm c o - o p e r a t ed fully w i th t he i n v e s t i g a t i ng g a r d ai f r o m the n e w C r i m i n al A s s e ts B u r e a u, w h o s e legal a d v i s er is f o r m er C o r k State S o l i c i t or B a r ry G a l v i n. T h e d e t e c t i v es w e r e i n v e s t i g a t i ng 'a sma ll n u m b e r of p r o p e r ty t r a n s a c t i o n s' i n v o l v i ng t w o of t he firm's clients, a n d did not r e q u e st a n y d o c u m e n ts that w e r e s u b j e ct to legal privilege. L a w S o c i e ty D i r e c t or G e n e r al K en M u r p h y w e nt on television a nd r a d io to attack the G a r d a h a n d l i ng of the a f f a i r. 'It is o u t r a g e o us that w h o e v er w a s r e s p o n s i b le f or t he G a r d a leak s e e ms to h a v e b e en q u i te h a p p y to sacrifice the h i gh r e p u t a t i on of a s o l i c i t o r 's firm', he said. ' T h e solicitors' p r o f e s s i on h as r e p e a t e d ly e m p h a s i s ed its w i s h es to b e e n g a g ed f u l ly in the battle a g a i n st c r i me a n d will c o - o p e r a te in e v e ry legally a nd ethically p r o p er w a y in that b a t t l e '. to solicitors o v e r the internet. A f t e r the b r e a k, A l ex S c h u s t e r, B L g a ve an e n t e r t a i n i ng e x p o sé on the l aw on p a c k a ge h o l i d a ys a n d travel a g e n t s. O n c e a g a i n, the lecture ma t e r i a ls s u p p l i ed to d e l e g a t es p r o v i d ed an e x t r e m e ly u s e f ul r e f e r e n ce o n t h e se d e v e l o p i ng a r e as of l aw. T h e d i n n er a n d d a n c i ng p r o v i d ed p l e n ty of o p p o r t u n i ty f or i m p r o v i ng N o r t h - S o u th r e l a t i o ns a n d r e n e w i ng c o n t a c ts w i th solicitors f r o m a c r o ss t he island. T h e S Y S is g r a t e f ul to all its s p o n s o rs f o r h e l p i ng to m a k e t he S p r i ng C o n f e r e n ce a s u c c e s s. In particular, the S Y S is p l e a s ed to h a v e r e c e i v ed t he g e n e r o us s u p p o rt of N a t i o n al Irish B a n k as its m a in s p o n s o r. •

Detectives leaving the offices of M. E. Hanahoe & Co. (courtesy of the Irish Times).

T h e G a r d a p r e ss o f f i ce h a s so f ar d e c l i n ed to c o m m e n t on the affair.

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Charity Film Premiere for Motor Neurone Disease Association T h e d a te f o r t he c h a r i ty film p r e m i e re of " L a st of t he H i g h K i n g s " h a s b e e n c o n f i r m e d. It will b e h e ld o n T h u r s d a y, 21 N o v e m b e r, 1996. A d r i n ks r e c e p t i on will b e h e ld at 7 . 3 0 p . m. f o l l o w ed by t h e s c r e e n i ng of t he film at 8 . 00 p . m. s h a r p. A r e c e p t i on a f t e r w a r ds will b e h e ld in t he Royrfl D u b l in H o t e l. B o o k i n gs m a y b e m a d e by c o n t a c t i ng S i n e ad M c G o v e r n at t he M o t o r N e u r o n e D i s e a se A s s o c i a t i on T e l: 8 7 3 0 4 2 2 (or f r e e f o ne 1 8 00 4 0 3 4 0 3 ) or b y w r i t i ng to t he A s s o c i a t i on at C a r m i c h a el H o u s e, N o r th B r u n s w i ck Street, D u b l in 7. •

Society of Young Solicitors Spring Conference

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