The Gazette 1994

GAZETTE

APRIL 1994

Minister was opposed by a "powerful self-interested lobby group in the Law Society and Bar Council." An editorial in the Irish Times on 15 March entitled "Death at Work" said: "it is utterly unacceptable that 63 workers should have died as a result of accidents at work last year - a death rate twice that which applies to workers in Britain - and that 13,000 should have suffered injuries or illnesses as a result of being in their places of work." The Irish Independent and Evening Herald of 26 April 1994, reported that Dublin Corporation was commencing a policy of counter-claiming costs in cases that were dropped before going to court. Computer cross-checking and checks with other public bodies were also being carried out and detective agencies were being employed in an effort to identify unmeritorious claimants. The main highlight of the past month's events was a pub quiz, disco and pound-a-pint night which took place in the Banker's Club on St. Stephen's Green on Wednesday 30 March. The pub quiz proved to be an extremely competitive affair with the various teams pitting their "intellectual" wits against each other in an effort to win the prize money. Many thanks to Michael Lynn for his able job as quizmaster and to Paul Carolan who designed the questions for the competition. The quiz was followed by a disco which allowed apprentices to reveal their expert dancing skills, no doubt aided to a large extent by the copious amounts of cheap pints on offer! We would imagine that many solicitors noticed their apprentices looking a little under the weather the following day! As regards future events, the highlight of SADSI's calendar will be the Midsummer's Ball on Saturday, July 23 in The Great Southern Hotel, Eyre Square, Galway. We are confident that it will be an enormous success and, as

highly critical of the hierarchical nature of the legal profession. "The Beef Tribunal scandal, in which some laywers appeared to be on the way to millionaire status, is just part of the bigger scandal, one of the chaotic law business cloaking itself in the trappings of prestige but widely held in contempt," he wrote. The journalist criticised no foal - no fee arrangements where, he suggested, if the case was won, a solicitor would take 10% of the award as a fee over | and above the party and party costs. The Irish Times of 16 April reported on comments by former Circuit Court Judge, Frank Martin, when he : criticised as "absolute discrimination" the fact that solicitors could not be appointed as judges of the Circuit and Higher Courts. The exclusion from the Scheme of apprentices who do not have a primary degree and apprentices with post- graduate qualifications (whether previously grant-aided or not) are only two examples of the inherent injustices of the Scheme. SADSI has been in correspondence with the Department of Education regarding the Scheme and I am aware that numerous apprentices have taken up the issue with their local authorities and written directly to the Minister for Education on the matter. As a result of the foregoing, the entire Scheme is now under review. Department of Education officials have indicated that a decision on the matter will be forthcoming "in a few weeks time". I will keep you informed of all developments and would emphasise that in any event all apprentices should check their entitlement to a grant with their local authority. • Support for Solicitor Judges Barbara Cahalane •

Lawyers' Fees

The Cork Examiner of 14 March 1994, reported a statement by the Chairman of the Dail Security and Legislation Committee, Dan Wallace TD, in which he suggested that the tendency by some members of the legal profession to overcharge might be as a result of pressure to stay in business in a highly competitive market. He said it was important that more emphasis be placed on manpower planning "if we aré to maintain a balance between providing competitive rates for the consumer while ensuring the viability of the vast majority of our legal firms. Smaller and younger practices are particularly vulnerable." Deputy Wallace said that the legal profession as a whole played a vital role in our democracy. Writing in the Sunday Independent of 3 April, journalist, Gene Kerrigan, in an article entitled "The sharing of the spoils inside our court system", was SADSI NEWS | it is on during a weekend, we hope to j see many revellers making not only a night of it in Galway, but an entire weekend as well! Within the next two weeks all apprentices will receive further details of the ball, along with travel and accommodation information. Tickets will be £20 and | will be on sale from 7 June. It must be | stressed that tickets are limited in number, so please contact us early to ! avoid disappointment. As mentioned in previous columns, SADSI is busy working on your behalf on the various pertinent issues I which affect apprentices. One issue is the Higher Education Grants Scheme and apprentices' entitlements thereunder. Philippa Howley reports ! as follows:

The Higher Education Grants Scheme

Many apprentices will be aware of the anomalies that exist in the Higher Education Grants Scheme which, in its | present form, has been in operation I since 1992.

Barbara Loftus Paul Lavery

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