The Gazette 1994

GAZETTE

MARCH 1994

O r i e n t a t i on I n U S A L a w The University of California is staging an Orientation in USA Law Course for international legal and business professionals. The four week programme will be held from July 10 to August 6, 1994, at the Berkeley and Davis campuses of the University. The core programme features the US legal system and business and trade law. Participants will receive additional training in one of four areas of specialisation: business and trade, criminal justice, judicial management or pre-LLM preparation. The curricu- lum also includes visits to law firms; business institutions; local, state and federal courts and government offices. In addition to the legal education provided by the orientation in USA law programme, participants have the opportunity to enjoy an enriching cross- cultural experience. Participants from 39 countries around the world attended the programme last year. The cost of the programme is $2,650 and on-campus housing including some meals is available at $ 1,500. Application forms are available from: Beth Greenwood, Director, Orientation in USA Law, University Extension, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 - 8727, USA. Telephone: 001 916 757 8894 Fax: 001 916 757 8596. ; Lawbrief (Continued from page 52) disproportionate to the aim pursued ; and had, accordingly, not been necess- 1 ary in a democratic society. There had been a violation of Article 10. These issues were raised a decade ago . in Irish courts in Nova Media Services j Ltd v Ireland [1984] ILRM 161 and in Sunshine Radio Production Ltd v | Ireland [1984] ILRM 170. The | plaintiffs failed in their initial hurdles I in interlocutory proceedings and never pursued their case. • •

terminology. Clarity of description is aided where necessary by examples and the occasional diagram. The layout, printing and indexing all help to make the book easily readable, and perhaps more importantly in such a complex field, understandable to everybody. Criticisms by me (I leave assessment of legal aspects to others) are few and minor: such as the occasional error in grammar and syntax and a cover that does not, I think, do justice to the book. The general description and statement of purpose, on which the book relies in the absence of an introduction inside, is printed across the cover design and difficult to read. So, to whom is Your Guide to Irish Law likely to be of interest? Apart from those who enjoy dipping into reference books, anyone who has any contact with the law will be glad to have the salient points explained so clearly. The fact that most day-to-day activities have legal implications should be enough to have a copy of the book in every household. Not being a legal person myself, I cannot say if members of the profession will want to have a copy of the book on their shelves for their own use, but it could be the basis of good solicitor/client understanding. In summary, Your Guide to Irish Law is a useful and well presented book which deserves to be widely available. It is recommended to legal professionals and to lay persons alike, albeit for different purposes.

Tony Kerr, a barrister and statutory lecturer in law in University College, Dublin, a Master in his profession, has made the fruits of his research available in this book on this important aspect of the administration of justice. It may appear trite to some readers, and perhaps a trifle patronising, but hopefully not sycophantic, to state that the level of scholarship from those in the legal academy of our universities is superior now to any time in the history of this island's civilisation. Strong words, yes, but hyperbole I hope not. Mr. Tony Kerr must be ranked among those who have achieved great distinction in publication terms in the legal academy and in his contribution to the development of the law - our jurisprudence. It is a comfort to the writer that his or her work should survive as long as the printed word survives. The prescription in terms of the amount of words allowed by the Editorial Board entails that this is a mere book notice - a notice to readers about what is on offer in Mr. Tony Kerr's book. In his book, Mr. Ken- provides an annotation to the Civil Liability Acts 1961 and 1964. The Acts amended and consolidated the law relating to the survival of causes of action on death, dealt with the law concerning concurrent fault, re-enacted the statutory provisions relating to damages for the benefit of dependents of persons fatally injured and made certain amendments of the law relating to wrongdoing. The book contains an up-to-date text of the legislation, refers to appropriate case law and presents an analysis of the law in a practical , fashion. This work is a definitive guide, a marvellous distillation, and a significant contribution to our knowledge on an important aspect of litigation law. As we have come to expect of him, Tony Kerr's lucid analysis of the law provides us with an understanding of issues at the forefront of civil litigation.

Frank Bracken

The Civil Liability Acts 1961 and 1964.

By Anthony Kerr, Dublin, The | Round Hall Press, 150pp, 1993, £32.50, hardback. j ; Parts of the Civil Liability Code are | obscure and complex, their meaning elusive and their effect uncertain. The language is sometimes tortuous. Mr.

I Dr. Eamonn G. Hall