The Gazette 1940-44

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland

June, 1943]

He was a distinguished author and play wright. In connection with national activi ties he was interned in Ballykinlar by the British Authorities in 1920/21. The late Mr. Frederick Sharpe was a Pro fessor of Common Law to our Society from 1909 to 1914, and was one of the best known Solicitors in the City of Dublin. We also sincerely regret the deaths of Mr. Thomas C. Wylie, Deny; Mr. James C. McGifford, Lisburn ; Mr. James P. Ring- wood, Dublin ; Mr. Francis C. Pilkington, Dublin, and Mr. Hugh C. Cochrane, who formerly practised in'Strabane. I should also refer to the death of a very old servant of the Society, the late James Wood, who was well known to several genera tions of Solicitors as the Society's Hall Porter and Caretaker. For almost fifty years he was in the service of the Society until his retirement on pension in December, 1939. May they rest in peace. You will recollect that at a special meeting held last October, final approval was given by the Society to the proposed new Solicitors' Bill, subject to certain amendments which were to be considered by the Committee appointed. The Committee considered all these amendments and the Bill in its final form was submitted, as directed by that meeting, to the Department of Justice. However, recently a Bill was introduced and enacted by the Oireachtas entitled the Solicitors' Act, 1943. This Act deals solely with members of the profession employed full time in the Government Service and exempting these members from the obliga tion of paying any annual Licence duty. This Act affects the Society to the extent that we will lose a sum of about £20 or £25 per annum, but it does not in any other way affect the Society. I understand that our Bill as presented by the Society is receiving the consideration of the Department of Justice and also the other Departments which might be affected by the Bill. In the discussion on the Act, to which I have referred, certain points were raised . which make it perfectly clear that our Bill is desired, not alone by our profession but by the members of the legislature. As you are aware we are seeking increased powers which the Society can exercise over its members and generally to improve the disci pline of our members. The Act of 1898 which governs our Society is, with the passing

Hurley, Desmond Moran, J. Blood-Smyth, Denzil O'Donnell, P. K. M. Carey, C. Mc- Gonagle, A. Marshall, L. J. Egan, E. H. Byrne, J. P. L. Murphy, K. Burke, George Crowley, R. J. Muldowney, Michael Noyk, J. E. Wallace. The Secretary read the notice convening the meeting and the minutes of the half- yearly General Meeting held on the 26th November, 1942, the latter of which were signed by the President. The President nominated the following members to be scrutineers of ballot for the election of the Council to be held on Monday, the 22nd November next :—Messrs. John R. McC. Blakeney, Desmond J. Collins, Thomas Jackson, Hugh G. Sweetman, and Roderick J. Tierney. THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH. The President, addressing the meeting, said :— It is with very great regret that I must, in the first place, refer with feelings of very deep sympathy to the loss that our Council and our Society sustained by the death early this year of Mr. Edward H. Burne. As you know, the late Mr. Burne had been a member of our Council and of our Society since 1916 and was President in the year 1928/29. There was no member of the Council whose advice was more sought by his fellow members than our late colleague. He was an outstanding and fearless advocate. In spite of a very busy professional life he had time to prepare and publish the standard work on the Rules and Practice of the District Court. In addition, he was bur representative on the Rule-Making Committee of the District Court. The late Mr. Burne was, as you are aware, keenly interested in the work of many public and private charities, especially in the work of the Solicitors' Benevolent Associa tion, of which he was Deputy Chairman. His loss is keenly felt by his colleagues on the Council to which he gave many years of faithful service. In addition to the loss of Mr. Burne our .profession has suffered heavily by the death of man}' of our members in the past six months. A great Solicitor, a great District Justice and a famous Irishman was lost to us by the death of Mr. Louis J. Walsh. He practised in Ballycastle until 1923, when he was ap pointed one of the first • District Justices.