The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

OCTOBER 1996

Solicitor in the News - Mervyn Taylor

by Kyran Fitzgerald*

T h e m e a s u r e s, in his v i e w, are l o ng o v e r d u e. " T h e Un i t ed N a t i o ns C o n v e n t i on e l i m i n a t i ng all f o r m s of d i s c r i m i n a t i on h as b e en ratified by 140 c o u n t r i es w o r l d w i d e. I r e l a nd c a n n ot ratify this c o n v e n t i on until the t wo a f o r e m e n t i o n ed p i e c es of legislation h a v e b e en ratified. " W e stick o ut like a s o re t h u m b. At t w o s e p a r a te o v e r s e as m e e t i n gs of G o v e r n m e nt m i n i s t e r s, the q u e s t i on as to w h y I r e l a nd h a s not ratified this c o n v e n t i on w a s p ut to m e . " T h e i d ea that s o m e o ne m i g ht n ot b e s e r v ed s i mp ly b e c a u se t h ey are a T r a v e l l er or of u n c o n v e n t i o n al s e x u al o r i e n t a t i on clearly o f f e n ds M e r v y n T a y l o r d e e p l y. " E a c h p e r s on is an i n d i v i d u a l. Y o u j u st c a n n ot p ut a label o n t h e m ." S u c h p r o t e c t i o ns will not, h e insists, s h a c k le "If a p e r s on s t e ps o ut of line o n e inch t h ey c an b e b a r r ed f o r life. Y o u c an say to p e o p le that n o - o ne is a l l o w ed in w i t h o ut a j a c k et a n d tie. A D u b l i n er h e w a s b o rn in 1931. H is J e w i sh p a r e n ts ran a g e n t l e m e n 's c l o t h i ng b u s i n e ss in T a l b ot Street. M e r v y n, w h o g r e w u p in R a t h m i n es a nd T e r e n u re on D u b l i n 's s o u t h s i d e, w a s e d u c a t ed at Z i o n N a t i o n al S c h o ol in R a t h g a r, m o v i n g o n to W e s l e y C o l l e ge w h i c h at the t i me w a s b a s ed in St S t e p h e n 's G r e e n. H e left s c h o ol h a v i ng c o m p l e t ed his Inter C e r t. In his c a s e, this w a s b e c a u se h e h a d d o n e s u f f i c i e n t ly we ll to g a in e n t r a n ce to the T r i n i ty C o l l e ge L a w f a c u l t y. W h e n y o u n g M e r v y n w a s p a s s i ng t h r o u gh t he c o l l e ge gates, b a c k in 1947, I h e w a s e n t e r i ng w h a t m u s t h a v e b e e n a I s t r a n ge p l a c e. the p r o p r i e t o rs of b u s i n e s s es u n d e r s t a n d a b ly k e en to d e t er u n d e s i r a b l es f r o m their p r e m i s e s.

M e r v y n T a y l or h as b e en b o th a t e e n a ge p r o d i gy a n d a political late d e v e l o p e r.

H e a r r i v ed to s t u dy l aw in T r i n i ty at the a g e of 15. H e first ran f o r the Da il in his forties, a n d finally a s s u m ed m i n i s t e r i al o f f i ce a f t er 4 0 y e a rs in p r a c t i ce as a solicitor. S i n ce b e c o m i ng M i n i s t er of E q u a l i ty a n d L a w R e f o r m, this r a t h er l o w - k ey politician h a s t a k en on s o m e of the b e st o r g a n i s ed l o b by g r o u ps in t he c o u n t r y: the o p p o n e n ts of d i v o r c e; the p u b l i c a n s; a n d t he a s s o c i a t i o ns r e p r e s e n t i ng sma ll firms. T a y l or r e c e n t ly c e l e b r a t ed the p a s s a ge into l aw of the F a m i ly L a w ( D i v o r c e) Ac t, a p i e ce of legislation w h i ch c o u ld s e r ve as an e p i t a ph f o r a politician w h o d o e s n ot h i de the f a ct that at a l mo st 6 5 y e a rs of a g e, he is b e g i n n i ng to tire p h y s i c a l l y. B u t t he D u b l in S o u th W e s t T D h as s o me w a y to g o b e f o re he h a n gs u p his b o o t s. H e is c u r r e n t ly piloting t w o E q u a l i ty Bills t h r o u gh t he O i r e a c h t a s, r u f f l i ng not a f e w f e a t h e rs in the p r o c e s s. P u b l i c a ns a nd s h o p k e e p e rs are u p in a r ms at w h at ; is p e r c e i v ed as an a t t empt to restrict their f r e e d om of action. A n d t h e re are f e a rs w h o m they so w i sh is on the w a y. S o m e p e o p le are c l a i m i ng that the M i n i s t er of E q u a l i ty a nd L a w R e f o r m is f o l l o w i ng i an a g e n da b a s ed on l e g a l i sm a nd political c o r r e c t n e s s. H o w e v e r, M e r v y n T a y l or strongly d e f e n ds the t w o p i e c es of legislation w h i c h, in his v i e w, finally b r i n gs Irish l aw into line w i th that in f o r ce in o t h er civilised c o u n t r i e s. " T h e e q u a l i ty legislation p a s s ed in the 1 9 7 0s d e a lt w i th | sex a n d marital status in an e m p l o y m e nt c o n t e xt o n l y. T h e E m p l o y m e nt E q u a l i ty a nd E q u al S t a t us Bills e x t e nd the p r o t e c t i on of the l aw to a w i d e r a n ge of o t h er d i s a d v a n t a g ed g r o u p s !" he says. that a c l a m p d o wn o n the rights of m e m b e r s of c l u bs to a s s o c i a te with

t h r o u gh the Wa r . T h e y w e r e a m a j o r i n f l u e n ce on the C o l l e g e. T h e r e w a s a b ar on C a t h o l i cs a t t e n d i ng T C D . In m y y e a r, t h e re w a s j u st o n e C a t h o l i c, Pat M a r k e y, w h o b e c a me a great f r i e n d. " M o s t of m y activity c e n t e r ed a r o u nd t he L a w S o c i e ty a nd t he S o l i c i t o r s' A p p r e n t i c es D e b a t i ng S o c i e ty a nd my f r i e n ds w e r e m a i n ly U C D s t u d e n t s. I w a s d e f e a t ed by R i c h ie R y a n (the f u t u re F i ne G a el M i n i s t er of F i n a n c e, c h r i s t e n ed " R e d R i c h i e" by his o p p o n e n t s ). I s e r v ed as T r e a s u r e r ." "I s p e nt little t i me in T r i n i ty t h o u gh I b e l o n g ed to the c o l l e ge C h e s s S o c i e t y. It w a s there, h o w e v e r, that I m e t p e o p le of the U n i o n i st p e r s u a s i on f o r the first t i me. T h e ir p o i nt of v i ew w a s o n e that I h ad h ad n o e x p o s u re to until then. I w a s g i v en c o n s i d e r a b le f o o d f or t h o u g h t ." M e r v y n d e c i d ed to b e c o me a solicitor f o l l o w i ng d i s c u s s i o ns i n v o l v i ng h is p a r e n ts a nd the l o n g t i me f a m i ly legal a d v i s o r, A r t h ur Ellis. M e r v y n b e c a me a p p r e n t i c ed to Ellis, w h o w a s 8 0 y e a rs of age. H e h ad q u a l i f i ed as a solicitor in 1 8 96 a n d, as a result, w a s entitled to p r a c t i se in a ny part of the U K as we ll as t he Irish R e p u b l i c. " H i s p r o u d e st b o a st w a s that h e h a d d o n e m o r e w o r k o n t he 1901 L a n d A ct t h an a ny o t h er solicitor in the c o u n t r y! H e w a s a f a s c i n a t i ng c h a r a c t e r, o n e of

" A h u g e p e r c e n t a ge of the s t u d e n ts w e r e British e x - s e r v i c e m en w h o h a d b e en

280