The Gazette 1989

OCTOBER 1989

GAZETTE

s ating extra telephones, an in and out Fax and better photocopy- ing facilities; b. New and better Consultation Rooms; c. A large Arbitration Room suit- able fo r international arbitra- tions i f necessary; d. A Document Exchange; e. A solicitors shop. The President of the Law Society, Mr. Maurice R. Curran, at a Press Reception in the Solicitors Buildings in the Four Courts on the 29th September, 1989 opened the above facilities for use by the profession with the enthusiastic reception of all those present. There were repre- sentatives o f the judiciary, th e D partment o f Justice, the Four Courts Administration, the Court Reporters and a large number o f members of the Council of the Law Society, the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association and the Presidents and Secretaries o f Bar Associations throughout the Country. Brian Mahon, Chairman o f the Premises Committee, has assured everybody that he has not finished yet and that slowly but surely the other facilities in the Four Courts will be brought up to a standard which members of the profession will appreciate and which will enable them to carry out their work in the Four Courts in relative peace and comfort. • tual general approval of the Council of the Law Society, the following facilities were agreed upon:- a. Larger office facilities incorpor-

I M

at Fou r Court

for the function would also be very useful. The Law Society office i n the Four Courts was very small and very uncomfortable both for the staff who worked there and for the solicitors who crammed into the small space in front of the counter in the middle o f a hectic day. Clearly something had to be done about that situation. A Document Exchange linked to the Exchange i n Merrion Square and t o Document Exchanges throughout the Country was a clear favourtie and negotiations were opened w i t h Ke n Mills, th e Managing Director o f the D.D.E., with a view to creating a Document Exchange franchise. One facility which had been talked about for years and indeed dreamt about b y many was a Solicitors Shop. This shop was seen as providing every item gener- ally used i n a solicitors office together with some o f the daily comforts o f lifesuch a s news- papers, cigarettes and snacks. I t was obvious that this facility would also have to be franchised, and was eventually put in the capable hands of Legal & General Stationers. After much discussion by the Premises Committee and the even-

The volume of work transacted i n the Four Courts i s prodigious by anyone's reckoning. The solicitors who haunt the Round Hall and the immediate environs o f the Four Courts and their ancillary staff have long operated in relatively marginal conditions with few o f the com- forts o f life. While th e La w Society's Consultation Rooms and the limited facilities provided by the Law Society office were of invalu- able assistance, i t has long been felt by practitioners that an upgrad- ing of facilities for the transaction of legal business in the Four Courts was long overdue. In 1988 the Office o f Public Works surrendered their lease on a portion of the Solicitors Buildings in the Four Courts which had previ- ously been used as the Judges Library and the Scrivenery Office. With the building of new adminis- trative offices for the Four Courts on the site of the old Four Courts Hotel, a great number o f long standing administrative problems were solved and the Judges Library and the Scrivenery Office could at last be accommodated elsewhere. The immediate reaction from the profession was more Consultation Rooms, but with the demise o f juries in running down actions a lot of people were unsure i f the de- mand fo r Consultation Rooms would remain constant or decrease. Then there was the "more and more telephones" lobby, not t o mention the brave few who wanted saunas and massage parlours. However, Brian Mahon, solicitor of Tullamore, and Chairman of the Premises Committee, called for a draft plan from Chris Mahon, the Secretary t o the Premises Com- mittee. After trawling the opinions of a large number of solicitors who frequently practise i n th e Four Courts i t was obvious that there were certain facilities which were regarded as the basic minimum. People were certainly anxious t o have a better standard of Consulta- tion Room. It was felt that with the upsurge in the number of arbitra- tions taking place, proper facilities

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Law Society wishes to advise that through its Employment Register, i t facilitates Solicitors currently seeking employment or contemplating a change of present employment. For further details contact: M I R I AM A. WALSH, EDUCAT I ON OFF I CER,

THE LAW SOCIETY, BLACKHALL PLACE, DUBL IN 7 .

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