The Gazette 1994

MARCH 1994

GAZETTE

O R R E S P O N D

E N C E

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Then there are the comments concerning the book's index. These seem especially misplaced given the Brownlie's work is a compendium of source documents and not a text book or monograph. Indeed, the index seems to be on par with others in the genre and entirely satisfactory for research purposes. Addressing the issue of the size of the index, the review ends with the comment that, "the high reputation of the Oxford University Press is sadly diminished by such a fall from acceptable standards". Might one not appropriately redirect these words to "JFB" and the Gazette?

Master Leases

The Editor, Gazette

The Editor, Gazette Dear Editor, I must take issue with the short review of Brownlie's Basic Documents on Human Rights, which appeared in the January/February edition of the Gazette, with the byeline "JFB". This piece, by means of contradiction, error and misplaced opinion, fails to do justice to a work which continues to be relied on by grateful practitioners and students alike. The weaknesses of the review are well displayed at the paragraph in which the book is assessed in terms of applicability to the war in the former Yugoslavia. Here the reviewer fails to acknowledge the generally recognised distinction between the disciplines of human right law and humanitarian law. Also, he or she would appear not to realise that human right law applies throughout the former Yugoslavia and plays a central role in informing international responses to the tragedy. Such unfamiliarity with the field leads the reviewer to make unfair criticism of the Brownlie work. Problems again crop up in the review's penultimate paragraph. What does the reviewer mean by, "the socio-political era"? Indeed, what is meant by the phrase, "the collection of European Conventions, principally that on Human Rights", given that all the European instruments included in the book are about human rights? More importantly, why does he or she suggest that only the European instruments might be of use to the practitioner? Surely Ireland's recent experience with regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has demonstrated the considerable practice potential for solicitors willing to acquaint themselves with global human rights law.

Dear Editor,

In 1983 Allied Irish Banks Pic and The Irish Farmers' Association with the co-operation of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors launched a Master Lease for the long term leasing of land. The Master Lease was the result of considerable work done by representatives of AIB, IFA, the Law Society and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors during which I represented IFA. The Master Lease, as a precedent, was made available to practitioners and others through AIB and I understand was reasonably widely used between then and now. With the on-set of the scheme of Early Retirement from Farming in implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1079/92 it is believed that the Master Lease will be used much more than heretofore and it has been decided by AIB and IFA to update ! the Master Lease to take account of I changes in the law since then. i The undersigned is advising IFA in this regard and the purpose of this letter is to request any practitioners who may have used the Master Lease j and who may have encountered any anomalies or problems to write to me at the address below so that any such ; anomalies or problems can be given due consideration. I Yours etc.,

Yours etc.,

Michael O'Flaherty, Solicitor, United Nations Centre for Human Rights.

Willie O'Reilly, RIP

The Editor, Gazette

Dear Editor,

Brian and I wish to thank all of you for your support and sympathy on the death (on 20 November, 1993) of a much loved husband and father . . . Willie. To the President, Council, Director General and staff of the Law Society, the Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association, the Society of Young Solicitors, and to others in the profession who also attended the removal and the funeral and to those who wrote us such beautiful letters with mass cards, from all over the country, many thanks. It was especially poignant to see so many ex-auditors as, of all his commitments, the Debating Society

! Brendan Walsh, | Brendan Walsh & Partners, j 18 Herbert Street, Dublin 2, 1 Tel. 6762207. Fax 6612175

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