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premises situated in an area of compulsory registration.
Tht representations made by the Society were however
unsuccessful and the existing practice will be continued.
All the solicitors representing the lending institutions
however agreed that in any case of difficulty they would
not insist on a mortgagor attending at the offices of the
mortgagee's solicitor to complete the mortgage. It was
also reported to the meeting that in some cases a solici-
tor for a building society closed transactions with more
than one borrower at the same time and this was
regarded as open to objection. It was submitted on
behalf of the Society that each completion should be a
separate and private transaction. Nine lending institu-
tions were represented at the meeting and it was stated
on behalf of each of them that the practice sought by
the Council in this connection is followed.
Solicitor's registered place of business
The Committee on Court Practice and Procedure in
its Eighth Interim Report recommended that the re-
quirement that the solicitor conducting litigation in the
Superior Courts must have a place of business within a
radial distance of two miles from the Four Courts
should be abolished. Section 23 of the Courts Act
1971 was designed to carry this effect into recommenda-
tion but the necessary rules of court to give effect to it
have not yet been made. A letter was sent to the
Superior Court Rules Committee asking that the ruies
be amended so that a solicitor would be no longer re-
quired to have a registered place of business within the
two miles radius of the Four Courts.
District Court—Solicitors and Client costs
Members were instructed to recover a debt of £82
and had to travel 18 miles to a District Court to obtain
the decree. The proceedings were successful. The sum
of £8 was deducted from the amount collected as a
solicitor and client charge. The Council on a report
from a committee stated that the proper practice is to
inform the client upon acceptance of the instructions
that a solicitor and client charge is likely to be involved.
However failure to inform the client would not prevent
a solicitor being entitled to charge on a solicitor and
client basis. The solicitor should inform the client of his
right to have the solicitor and client bill taxed if -he
regards it as excessive.
Certificates for banks
Members wrote to the Society on the subject of the
practice of one of the banks which will now seal docu-
ments only if there is a certificate on the back to the
effect that the document is in order for sealing to be
signed by their law agent or by the solicitor acting for
the customer. While this poses no problems where the
solicitor is acting for the bank the position is very
different in the case of a trust in which the bank is to
be the trustee. In such a case the solicitor is acting for
the settlor and he is not advising the bank as to its
correctness or otherwise of the deed or whether it is
suitable for the bank to execute it at all. To sign the
certificate puts the solicitor in the position that he is
advising the bank as to the propriety of executing the
particular document. The Council on a report from a
committee stated that a solicitor not acting for the bank
should not be asked to advise the bank as to the
propriety of executing the particular document.
Dublin Corporation leases
Members drew attention to cases where purchasers
are taking leases from the Dublin Corporation. The
law agent will not send out the engrossment of the
lease as a matter for completion but requires the pur-
chaser to attend personally at the Corporation to sign
the lease. This frequently results in delay as well as
inconvenience. It takes two or three months to have the
leases sealed by the Dublin Corporation and this imposes
hardship on the builder and purchaser alike. The matter
was referred to the Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association
who were asked to take the matter up with the Corpora-
tion and to refer back to the Society.
Legal Aid
It was decided to summon a meeting of solicitors on
the legal aid panel throughout the country to discuss
the present scales of legal aid fees and any appropriate
action to obtain an increase in the scales.
World Peace through Law Conference
The Abidjan World Conference on World Peace
through Law will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast,
August 26th-31st, 1973. This Conference is the first
such world meeting of the legal profession ever to be
held in Africa. Discussions will be held in such areas as :
religion and the law, international organizations, human
rights and urban development.
A special charter flight from Paris to Abidjan on
August 25th has been arranged, returning to Pat is,
September 1st, 1973. The round trip fare will he
$250.00 (U.S.) per person (£105).
Further information and application forms can be
obtained upon request from the Law Society of Ireland.
International Congress of Jewish Lawyers
The Second International Congress of Jewish Lawyers
and Jurists, organized by the International Association
of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists will be held in Jerusalem,
Israel on August 19th-23rd, 1973, under the auspices of
the President of the Supreme Court of Israel and the
Minister of Justice.
The Congress will be held within the framework of
the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the State of
Israel, and will be dedicated to 25 years of legislation
and judicature in Israel.
For information and for preliminary registration
apply to The Secretariat of the Congress, Daphna
Events, P.O.B. 29234, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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