The Gazette 1940-44

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland

[December, 1940

28

Mr. John Fottrell was a member of the Council from 1900 to 1913 and was a Vice- President of the Society in the year 1902-3. Although he had retired from practice some time before his death, many in this Hall will remember him as an active member of our profession, carrying into our own day the high tradition of a family which for a hundred years has borne an honoured name in the legal life of our country. \Yithin the last few days the Society and our profession has suffered a great loss in the death of an honoured and beloved Past President. The late Mr. Robert G. V.'arren served on the Council for a long period and occupied the presidential chair in the year 1918-1919. I think only three of the members of the outgoing Council served under Mr. Warren as President, but many of vis remem– ber him as a wise and loyal colleague ever ready to place his long experience and sound judgment at the disposal of the Council or indeed of any member of the profession who sought his aid. To the relatives of both these past members of the Council I beg to tender on behalf of the Society an expression of sympathy- It is satisfactory to note that during the past year the membership of the Society has increased by the substantial figure of forty- one. As mentioned in the Report, this happy state of affairs must be attributed to the speech made by my predecessor in the chair, Mr. D. T Reilly, at the meeting in November 1939. Mr. Reilly thus closed his year of office, in which he did such splendid work for the profession, by an appeal which proved successful beyond expectation, though not beyond its skill or merits. I should like to think that Mr. Reilly's appeal has not yet spent its force and that the membership of the Society will show a further increase during 1941. The principal matters which have engaged the attention of the Council during the past year are mentioned in the Annual Report, and I need not weary you by referring at length to all of them. I think the record shews that the Council has looked after the interests of the profession with care and diligence. It is probably unnecessary to say that by far the greater part of the work of the Council is not that which finds its way

into the Annual Report, but is nevertheless of the highest importance to the profession at large, to individual members of the Society and to the public. I may, however, be excused if I occupy your attention for a short time in referring particularly to one very important matter which occupied the Council during the past year, namely, the production of a draft Bill, which if, and when, it receives the approval of the Society, will be introduced into Parlia– ment, and it is to be hoped will in due course pass into law. At page 9 of the Annual Report appears a brief account of the origin of the Bill and the steps so far taken in regard to it. The Council approached the task imposed upon it by the resolution of the Annual Meeting of November, 1937, with a feeling of great responsibility. It became evident at the start that the direction given to the Council by the resolution could only be effected by means of an Act to confer additional powers on the Society. The first point to be decided was whether to promote a Bill to amend the Act of 1898 in certain particulars only or to seek a more compre– hensive measure effecting such changes in the law as were considered necessary or desirable in relation to the profession and giving the Society wider powers than it now has by law. This is not an opportune time to explain the provisions of the draft Bill or to debate its merits. The draft has been sent to each local Solicitors' Bar Association throughout the country, and copies will be available for perusal in the Societv's library, but it is felt that a reasonable time should be given to enable the members of the Society to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Bill before proceeding with its con– sideration. It is intended in due course to call a special meeting of the Society at which the Bill will be fully, but privately, considered, and the Council will then be prepared to explain the reasons which appeared good to them for seeking a comprehensive measure rather than a mere amending Act, and to give all such information and explanations as may be necessary for its full examination and discussion.