The Gazette 1992

GAZETTE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1992

From the President

Briefing on Current Issues

At a presentation to Chris Mahon, former Director of Professional Services, who

retired from the Law Society at the end of December were L-R: Adrian Bourke,

President, Chris Mahon and Noel Ryan, Director General.

Having completed t wo and a half

months as President, the pressures

of this function have become very

real. A brief summary of some

s i t ua t i ons may help to bring

Members up to date:-

Chris Mahon:-

1 was saddened,

and yet pleased for him, to preside

over his retirement function. Chris

has been a stalwart friend to the Law

Society for over a decade. He goes

to the Bar Council of Northern

Ireland. He will be missed by all of

us. He was approachable, under-

standing and, where necessary,

compassionate. On behalf of us all,

I wish him well in his new function,

and assure him that he will always

be welcome at Blackhall Place.

FLAC:-

You will find an Appeal

in this Gazette. Please pay parti-

cular regard to it. Funds are

urgently needed, and we do all

accept that remarkable work is

achieved by the Centres. Please

give generously, reflecting your

k n o wn c o n c e rn for t he less

privileged. Subscriptions can be

sent, separately, to P.J. Connolly at

the Law Society.

Berlin:-

This Gazette contains

much material on the Conference.

Ireland, and Irish Lawyers, must be

deeply committed to the New

Europe. We are learning to partake,

and so I warmly invite and en-

courage you to participate. Every-

thing possible is being done to keep

pricing within a very reasonable

range. Early indicators show im-

mense interest. Please return your

application and deposit,

immediately.

Objectives:-

Your officers and

Council are concentrating on the

Solicitors Bill, on the present status

of legal costs, on provisions to have

District Judges and solicitors made

eligible for appointment as Judges of

the Higher Courts, and on improving

and opening up relations between

the membership of the Society, that

is our own solicitors, and the main

administration, committees, Council

and officers. The Law Society

belongs to all solicitors.

Committees

1991/1992:-

There have been substantial changes

in chairmen and membership. This

follows a wide consultative process.

It is felt, as a general rule, that chair-

men, like the officers, should not

serve more than one year. Nor

should there necessarily be an

automatic right of succession by a

vice-chairman. Greater opportunities

will open up for all members of the

Solicitors Benevolent

Fund AGM

Notice is Hereby Given that the

One Hundred and Twenty Eighth

Annual General Meeting of the

Solicitors Benevolent Associa-

tion will be held at the Incor-

porated Law Society's Building,

Blackhall Place, Dublin, on Friday

13 March, 1992 at 12 noon:

1. To consider the annual report

and accounts for the year

ended 30 November, 1991.

2. To elect directors.

3. To deal w i th other matters

app r op r i a te to a General

Meeting.

Clare

Leonard

Secretary

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Council and committees, and there

will be a broader spectrum of ideas

and policies available.

1992 is a momentous year. I hope

it is happy, and even prosperous, for

you all. The Society is most

receptive to ideas, comments and

criticism, and I invite you to send

these to me.

Adrian P. Bourke,

President

Viewpoint

(Continued from page 3)

We would urge that this is a matter

that should be reconsidered. The

Society will, we understand, be

seeking to have the Bill amended in

the course of its passage through

the Oireachtas to replace the pre-

sent discriminatory approach. In our

view, this succeeds only in paying

lip-service to the language, does

nothing to advance respect for it or

to further its promulgation in the

sense of ensuring that there are

lawyers available w i th competence

in the language and who are willing

to provide legal services to clients

who want their business conducted

in the Irish language.

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