The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1996

Law Society Decision Not To Reintroduce System of Law Graduate Exemptions From Its Entrance Examination

The following is the text of a news release issued by the Society on 21 December, 1995. The Law Society has decided not to seek to reintroduce the system whereby graduates in law of certain universities were exempt from the entrance examination (known as the Final Examination - First Part or ' FE - 1 ') to the Society's Blackhall Place based Professional Training Course. The system had been found to have been unlawful by the High Court Judgment of Ms. Justice Laffoy of 22 September 1995. Even if the legal difficulties of reintroducing this exemption regime could have been overcome, the Society has decided that it would have been incompatible with the Society's objectives of ensuring proper educational standards and fairness of entry requirements. From 1982 to 1989 all candidates seeking entry to the Society's Professional Training Course were required to sit and pass the entrance examination in 6 (now 8) 'core' Irish law subjects. In 1989, the Society decided to accept degrees in law (in which the 'core' subjects had been passed) from UCD, TCD, UCC, UCG and UL as being sufficient proof that the 'core' subjects had been taught, understood and examined to an acceptable level. As the years went by, the Society became increasingly dissatisfied with this system. The Society saw evidence that the level of coverage and examinability of the Society's syllabi in the 'core' Irish law subjects was often incomplete. It also saw evidence that the depth and breadth of knowledge of the 'core' Irish law subjects exhibited by students in the Society's Law School who had 1. Proper Educational Standards

benefited from the law graduates' exemption system varied considerably. This was a considerable concern to the Society as knowledge and understanding of the 'core' law subjects is assumed as the starting point for the legal Professional Training Course in Blackhall Place. The Society views it as essential in the public interest that a solicitor, whom the Society qualifies to practise law, has an acceptable and consistent level of knowledge and understanding of the 'core' Irish law subjects. The Society's dissatisfaction with the prevailing situation was such that it was giving active consideration to a discontinuance of the law graduate exemption system for some time prior to the High Court judgment of 22 September 1995. The Society has received a number of applications for recognition, for the purpose of exemption from the FE-1, of new degrees, some in 'pure' law, some partly in law and partly in other disciplines, some from universities or non-university educational institutions both within and without the State. If the Society were to consider reintroducing the law graduate FE-1 exemption system which was declared invalid by the High Court judgment then, as a legal consequence of the High Court judgment, the Society might also have been obliged to grant exemptions from the FE-1 to the holders of law degrees from other member states of the European Union. For the Society to assess and monitor each of the law degrees provided by such educational institutions would have been a practical impossibility. 2. Fairness of Entry Requirements - the need for a 'level playing field'

that some of the degrees which it is currently being asked to recognise would not exhibit acceptable standards of knowledge and understanding of the 'core' Irish law subjects. Accordingly, the Society has decided that the only fair way in which to treat all candidates for entry to the Society's Professional Training Course in Blackhall Place is to require each of them to sit a common standards entrance examination in the eight 'core' Irish law subjects. This examination would be taken whether a candidate had a 'pure' law degree, a degree in law and some other discipline or a degree solely in some other discipline and would be taken whether the degree in question was from an educational institution within or without the State. The Society believes that no alternative system could be as fair as this 'level playing field' approach which would have the added advantage of ensuring a minimum knowledge of law of the eight 'core' Irish law subjects among all entrants to the Society's Professional Training Course. Accordingly, the Society will not seek to change the current legal situation which exists consequent on the High Court judgment of 22 September 1995, | namely that all candidates for entry to the Society's Professional Training Course must sit and pass the Society's standards entrance examination (FE-1). • BOOKKEEPING SERVICES i Experienced legal bookkeeper available; 20-25 hours per week for manual/ j computerised systems in greater Dublin area.' Highest references available. Contact:PEADAR FENNESSY, 79, Abbeypark Orchard, Clane, Co. Kildare. Phone:(045)861034

The Society would be concerned