The Gazette 1971

fession of chartered accountants as experts. The Council further accept that this committee itself should be sub- ject to control by the highest authority in the land, namely the Oireachtas. They are opposed to control by the executive on the ground that the decisions of such a committee should be debated and canvassed openly and in such a manner as will safeguard the independence of the profession. The solicitors' profession is intimately concerned with the administration of justice as between citizens and as between the State and the citizen. Con- trol of its remuneration ultimately means control over its existence and activities. The Council have expressed these views as clearly as possible to the Minister in pursuance of the mandate which they have received from the profession. Control by the Oireachtas is the only matter at issue between us and we are hopeful from the meetings which have taken place that the force and justice of our case will be recognised. The Society's Services The Public Relations and Services Committee among its other activities deals with the establishment and promotion of services for members. The company for- mation service has been in existence since 1968 and approximately 1,200 companies have been formed to date on behalf of members of the Society. The service provides precedents which can be adapted and amended, the solicitor having carriage to suit the client's require- ments. The memorandum and articles of association are printed in accordance with member's instructions and all communications and correspondence with the company's office is carried out by the service. Company seals and minute books can be provided and all mech- anical operations carried out leaving the solicitor free to concentrate on the purely legal work. The extent to which the service has been used indicates its value to the profession. The Society has also established an amalgamation and partnership service for which forms were sent out with the March issue of the Society's Gazette. Members wishing to avail of the service should complete the form with certain particulars which is placed on a confidential file. Names are not disclosed without permission. This service is as yet in its infancy. The Council hopes that as it grows to maturity it will be of increasing benefit to members of the Society. Precedent Bank and Engrossment Service In the near future the Society will launch a prece- dent bank and engrossment service with the Magnetic Tape 72 Typewriter. This is a machine which can store typewritten material on tape and reproduce it at speeds of 100 to 180 words per minute. Amendments by dele- tion or addition or alteration can be made on the tape without interfering with the general text and a com- plete document ready for execution can be obtained at a moderate charge having regard to the saving of time effected. It is particularly valuable for long documents which in the ordinary course would require complete retyping after approval of the draft. It is proposed to store on these tapes deed of discretionary trust, com- plete power of attorney and partnership deed for pro- fessional or general commercial requirements and addi- tional precedents will be stored in the light of experi- ence. Members can also buy their own tapes for their particular requirements for use on the Society's office machine. Publications In the field of publications the Society has commis- sioned a work on Irish Land Law by Mr. J. A. Wylie of Queen's University, Belfast, and a textbook on The Law

of Evidence in Ireland by Dr. Cole of Trinity College, Dublin. Negotiations are in progress for the production of a book on Planning Law. In this connection I wish to acknowledge the financial assistance which has been given by the Arthur Cox Foundation and its chairman the Hon. Mr. Justice Kenny who have generously agreed Looking forward to the possible accession of Ireland to the E.E.C. the Council have requested the Depart- ments of Justice and Foreign Affairs to receive represen- tatives. Contact has been made with the English Law Society and .valuable information has been exchanged. Among the main topics of interest to the profession here are the proposed removal of restrictions on the right of establishment and the right to supply professional ser- vices, the harmonisation of the laws of the member states of the community, recognition of professional diplomas and matters such as the reciprocal enforce- ment of judgements. The right of professional men to cross frontiers for the provision of legal services natur- ally raises problems which are more apparent between the Civil Law and the Common Law countries than between the European states which operate under basi- cally similar legal systems. The question of the right of audience of solicitors in foreign courts and the right of U.K. and European lawyers in the Republic is also engaging attention. The Council has asked that the legal profession be represented on the committee appointed by the Taoiseach to study the legal problems which will arise from accession to the community. Solicitors' Remuneration An application for an increase in the Schedule 2 char- ges (apart from commission scale fees) under the Solici- tors' Remuneration General Orders was made to the statutory body last year. Consideration was postponed pending the introduction of decimalisation. This appli- cation has been renewed and applications have been made to the rules committees of the various Courts and the Land Registration Rules Committee for increases to correspond with the rise in the cost of living figure since 1964. It is premature to anticipate the outcome of these applications but we think we have a good case and members may rest assured that it will be presented Arising out of difficulties experienced by the insurance industry and the rapid increase in premiums the Minister for Industry and Commerce appointed a com- mittee to study the problem and report to him. At the request of the committee the Council submitted a memorandum and representatives of the Society have attended before the committee to amplify the report by further oral information. The problems are difficult and admit of no easy solution but the Council will be glad to afford any assistance which can be obtained from the practical experience of members of the profession. Professional Negligence The Society's professional liability insurance scheme which was launched last year has obtained very satis- factory support from members of the Society. The num- ber of offices in the scheme now exceeds 300 and rates compare very favourably with those obtained elsewhere. There is a single renewal date—April 30th—and the renewal notices have already been received by most if not all offices. I am informed that the volume of work has been heavy and some offices were naturally anxious about renewals but I am assured that there is no cause to subsidise the textbook on land law. The European Economic Community with the utmost speed. Insurance Commission

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