The Gazette 1940-44

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland

[May, 1940

EXAMINATION RESULTS. A year ago Mr. Reilly, my predecessor in the chair, referred at some length to the falling-off in the standard of answering at our examinations which was a matter of concern to the Council. I regret to say that at any rate so far as the Final Examination is concerned there has been no improvement. For a considerable time even a special certifi– cate has seldom been achieved, and at times the standard has been so low that the Council has felt unable to award the valuable Findlater Scholarship. As against this very unsatisfactory state of affairs, we are able to record a marked improvement in the results of recent Examinations in the Irish language. I do not say that there is necess– arily any close connection between the improvement in the one case and the disim- provement in the other, but I desire to impress upon candidates for our examinations that proficiency in the Irish language, while a condition precedent to entry to the pro– fession, must not be achieved at the expense of a knowledge of law and practice, and that the Society has no intention of lowering the standard of legal education and knowledge required for admission to the profession. In fact it may be found necessary to follow the tendency exhibited by other professions and to prescribe even stricter and more onerous tests of proficiency before passing appren– tices into the responsibilities of practice. MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY. At the risk of being accused of lack of originality I venture to repeat the appeal so often made by my predecessors in office for an increase in membership of the Society. I am of course, aware that all of you whom I am addressing are members, but through your efforts others of our professional brethren who so far have not joined the Society might very well be approached with a request to do what to my mind is their obvious duty. In particular I would appeal to ever}? Solicitor who has an apprentice to see that the advantages of membership are impressed upon him or her. I have recently seen a statement that the English Law Society is seeking an Act of Parliament which will make membership of the Law Society compulsory for all Solicitors. I am not sure that stich a method of obtaining members for

our Society would be desirable even if it were feasible, but I trust that the day will come when every Solicitor admitted will voluntarily as a matter of duty to his profession and to his own interest, join the Society. The Meeting then terminated.

MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL.

4th April. Twenty-four members present. The consideration was continued of draft Solicitors' Bill, 1940. 25th April. Twenty-four members present. High Court Judgments. The President informed the Council of a discussion which he and Dr. Quirke as representatives of the Council on the Incor– porated Council of Law Reporting had with that Council, in reference to a letter received by this Council from a member of this Society drawing attention to what he con– sidered the excessive expense of obtaining copies of judgments from Court Reporters. The Council of Law Reporting informed the President and Dr. Quirke of the financial difficulties involved and undertook to dis– cuss the matter more fully later on and to submit further particulars. Land Commission. A letter was read from a member drawing attention to delays on the part of the Land Commission in the noting of assignments of lands not yet vested. It was directed that a letter be written to the Land Commission drawing attention to this matter. Solicitors' Bill. The consideration was continued of draft Solicitors' Bill, 1940. OBITUARY. MR. JAMES M. MURPHY, Solicitor, Tralee, died on the 3rd April, 1940, at Tralee. Mr. Murphy was admitted in Trinity Sittings, 1890, and practised at Tralee up to 1922, when he retired.