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DECEMBER, 1921] The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
37
Since we last met many of the principal
Officials of the Law Courts, with whom we
have been associated in our professional
work for years past, have retired.
.These
retirements comprise quite a long list of
names ranging over most of the Courts from
the Appeal Court, Master of the Rolls Court,
Lunacy Offices, King's Bench Division,
Probate Offices, Land Judges, Receiver Office,
Record and Writ Office, Registration of
Title and Deeds, and it would be invidious
to single out any particular name for special
reference or eulogy. The Solicitors, however,
through me, express to these gentlemen their
appreciation of official courtesy, help and
attention during a long official association,
and a sense of the loss both to the public
service and in their professional duties which
the retirement of these gentlemen entails.
At the same time, in bidding good-bye and
God speed to old official friends I take the
opportunity of welcoming the successors to
such of these positions as have been filled,
and. who, coming from the ranks of the law,
are not strangers to us, and I express the
hope that they may fulfil as worthily as their
predecessors their duties to all concerned in
the discharge of
their important Official
duties, and assure them of the support and
goodwill of
the Solicitors
in
their new
responsibilities
and
promotion.
I
have
received letters from many of them, and it
was a great satisfaction to me to note the
testimony paid
by
them to the work of our
Law Clerks and staffs of Solicitors' offices
with whom they came in contact, and which
will be gratifying to that body.
The
1st
of October marked a
legal
cataclysm in this country in its division into
two separate legal jurisdictions and that too
in a country the legal business of which: had
for
centuries
been
hitherto
efficiently
administered under one.
The Council made official protest against
it, and endeavoured by amendments to the
Bill to retain the whole country under one
jurisdiction, but without avail.
The setting up of the Northern jurisdiction
has taken from amongst us some of those men
most appreciated in our local legal life.
Mr. Denis Henry, as Lord Chief Justice,
and Mr. Justice Moore, as a Lord Justice,
have elected to go North. They came from
it, and who shall say that when, as we lawyers
express it, they were " put to their election "
they can be blamed for their choice, however
much we may
regret
it.
They were
sufficiently long amongst us to inspire in us
a very high sense of respect and regard, and
a feeling of regret at their departure from
amongst us.
To Mr. James Andrews, who at the Bar
had earned our complete confidence, and
who is promoted to be a Lord Justice of
Appeal in Northern Ireland, we send both
our greetings and regrets. We felicitate him
on his promotion—we deplore the loss of his
genial personality and skilful advocacy.
If I were to indulge in dreams of the
unification of jurisdiction once more in this
country, I would be accused of becoming
political—suffice it that we in the South are
not attracted by a system which has deprived
us of men like these. This, however, is a
personal note and by the way.
From larger
and professional standpoints, however, this
division of jurisdiction is full of difficulty
and
affords no guarantee
of
increased
efficiency.
I do not labour the subject on this occasion
more than to say that I deplore this par
tition as a great blow to the legal profession,
and opposed to that unity which, in any
phase of national life, especially in a small
country, whether
political,
professional,
commercial or otherwise, stands for strength,
national stability and efficiency, and much
will depend on keeping j the rules and pro
cedure in both jurisdictions identical.
The
ladies have now
invaded, or are
attempting to invade, our profession under
their new statutory privilege, and there are
already several lady apprentices in process
of qualification.
Our apprentices continue to be a care of
the Society, and more especially of
the
Committee
responsible
for
educational
matters. The Apprentices' Debating Society
has held fourteen meetings during the year.
They have the use of premises for holding
their meetings given by the Society, which
also financially assists it, and for impromptu
speeches, oratory and legal debate, gold and
silver medals are awarded
to encourage
attention to these important items of legal
education.
I commend to each Solicitor who. may
happen to have an apprentice in his office,