99 / 142
JUNE, 1929]
The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society ot Ireland.
I have been present at
twenty-eight
meetings of the Committees of the Council
on various topics referred to them, and the
Court of Examiners have held four meetings.
The Rule-making Committee
of
the
Supreme and High Courts are at present
deliberating on certain subjects which, when
determined, will, I believe, make matters of
practice in those Courts more up-to-date and
expeditious,
though it
is no secret that
delays are still occasioned in the extraction
of Orders, chiefly owing to inadequate or
insufficiently skilled staffs, and it does not
seem possible to remedy these matters owing
to the insufficient allowance made
by
the
Ministry of Finance. Some of the enormous
amount spent annually on compulsory Irish
might usefully be employed in bringing our
High Court Office work to a more efficient
standard.
The Circuit Court Rule-making Committee
is still at work upon completing the new set
of Rules, and it may be found that the wise
course for the working of these Courts is to
adopt where possible the old framework upon
which
the County Court existed, while
bringing the Rules into conformity with
present-day requirements, having regard to
the extended jurisdiction up to ^300.
It is hoped to have the Rules signed in
time for their passing the two Houses of
Parliament before the Long Vacation.
I
take
this opportunity of extending
congratulations
to
the
Circuit
Court
practitioners and respectfully complimenting
our Circuit Judges and the County Registrars
for the happy experience arrived at in the
almost perfect working of the practice of
those Courts in the interim, during which
they are carrying on without any Rules
except those of common sense and a desire
to make harmonious and efficient working go
hand in hand, by reason of which litigants
and profession have not suffered in
the
absence of hard and fast Rules.
The delays in the Circuit Court have to a
very large extent been remedied owing to the
appointment of additional Circuit Judges
both for the Metropolitan Circuit Court and
on other Circuits, which appointments may
have been in some measure due to the
suggestions made by us to the Government,
based upon the experience of the Solicitors
practising in this Court.
In a short time all
arrears will be worked off.
I take this opportunity of reminding my
professional brethren that the Council are
ever ready to receive suggestions for the more
efficient working of the judicial system, and
in every case I can promise on behalf of my
Council a sympathetic deliberation and a
wise determination for the good of
the
profession and the benefit of our country.
The question of the payment of Licence
Duty both in Northern Ireland and the Irish
Free State by those members of the Society
practising in both States, has exercised the
minds of your Council, and representations
have been made to the Ministers of Finance
of both countries, which, I hope, will in the
near future permit those entitled to practice
in both places to do so on the payment of
one duty.
The President of the Incorporated Law
Society
of Northern
Ireland has
ably
assisted our efforts in this respect.
Your Council had their attention directed
to the objectionable practice of a Collector of
Income Tax when suing in person claiming
professional costs on obtaining a decree in
the District Courts, and on representations
made by them I am satisfied the practice will
be discontinued, but should any isolated case
occur, we shall be glad to have such brought
to our notice.
You are all aware of the very objectionable
provisions of what has come to be known as
the Compulsory Irish for Lawyers Bill, and
I think it right that you should know the
histor}' of the attempted passage of the Bill.
The document was introduced into the Diiil
and
received
its
second
reading by
a
majority, the voting being 110 to 17.
Having gone to Committee certain amend
ments were brought forward by our member,
Mr.
J. Travers
\Volfe,
and after scant
impolite discussion these were, metaphor
ically, torn up and thrown in our faces.
The Bill itself may yet be torn up by the
promoters.
The Council having considered the position
of the profession concluded that the question
was so serious for the future of the profession
that a Special General Meeting of the Society
should
be made
acquainted with
the
impossible and ridiculous provisions of the