The Gazette 1984

GAZETTE

JULY/AUGIJST

1

We show a greater interest on other people's money.

Ci ty of Dub l in Ba nk PLC. is a p u b l i c l imi t ed company, quo t ed on T h e S t o ck Ex c h a n ge - I r i sh. It is a b a n k l i censed bv t he Ce n t r a l Ba nk o f l r e l a nd a nd d e p o s i t s pl aced wi th u s have T r u s t ee S t a t u s . We a re also an App r oved Ba nk by t he I n c o r p o r a t ed Law Society to

accept c l i en t s' f u n d s on depos i t. We h a ve long expe r i ence dea l i ng w i t h So l i c i t ors a nd provide t he pe r f ect servi ce in t e rms of a c c e p t i ng depo s i ts on d ema nd s u p p o r t ed by t he best ma r ket depo s i t r a t e s. P h o ne u s now for a quo t e.

CITYof DUBLIN^BANK 2 Lower Merrion Street, Dublin 2. Phone 760141 763225.

• Where the differences show up clearly — that is, differences in the incentives and disincentives to litigation — is in the types of cases that are brought in American courts. There are many kinds of cases that are brought in America, that are not brought in this country or in the United Kingdom. (e) A distinguishing feature of law practice in America is the importance of Constitutional litigation. • The United States Constitution, which is a written document, like the Irish Constitution, contains guarantees of individual rights. This part of the Constitution, the so-called Bill of Rights, is really a prohibition against certain types of government action. It is a definition of what government constitutionally is not empowered to do. • Constitutional rights can be enforced in America by a private action — in which an individual citizen is

the plaintiff — brought against the offending government instrumentality. • Not infrequently these cases raise issues of great public importance. Let me give some examples. • Until the 1950s, in the Southern states, there were separate systems of public education for white children and black children. The constitutionality of that system of racially separate public schools was challenged — successfully — by court cases brought by the parents of black school-children. • Another example: Electoral districts in America sometimes have been shaped in such a way as to dilute unfairly the voting power of a particular party. Court cases have been brought — success- fully — by members of a disadvantaged party to have electoral districts declared unconstitutional. 127