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GAZETTE
P R A C T I C E
N O T E S
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1996
Conveyancing Expert
Witnesses
1. A n e x p e rt w i t n e ss s h o u ld b e
i n s t r u c t ed at the earliest p o s s i b le
s t a ge in a c a s e a n d n o later t h an
S t a t e m e nt of C l a i m or D e f e n c e
s t a g e s, as a p p r o p r i a t e.
2. T h e e x p e rt w i t n e ss s h o u ld be g i v en
p r o p er i n s t r u c t i o ns a nd a p r o p er
C a s e to A d v i se w i th a p p r o p r i a te a nd
r e l e v a nt d o c u m e n t s.
3. A c o n s u l t a t i on s h o u ld b e h e ld w i th
the e x p e rt w i t n e ss as s o on as the
w i t n e ss h a s f u r n i s h ed an o p i n i o n.
4. A n e x p e rt w i t n e ss s h o u ld b e a s k ed
to g i ve e v i d e n ce o n m a t t e rs of
c o n v e y a n c i ng p r a c t i ce o n l y.
5. S o l i c i t o rs s h o u ld e n g a g e their o w n
e x p e rt w i t n e s s es a n d n ot rely o n the
C o n v e y a n c i ng C o mm i t t ee to p r o v i de
o n e. T h e c h o i ce n e ed n ot b e
c o n f i n ed to m e m b e r s of the
C o mm i t t e e.
6. A n e x p e rt w i t n e ss is n ot an a d v o c a te
f o r the p a r ty w h o c a l ls the w i t n e s s.
7. A n e x p e rt w i t n e ss s h o u ld n ot b e
e x p e c t ed to a p p e ar on a c o n t i n g e n cy
f e e basis.
Conveyancing Committee
Destruction of Files and
Other Papers
M e m b e r s f r e q u e n t ly s e ek t he g u i d a n ce
of t he c o mm i t t ee in r e l a t i on to the
d e s t r u c t i on of files a n d o t h er p a p e r s.
T h e m a t t er is n ot g o v e r n ed by
r e g u l a t i o n s.
Conveyancing Files
M o s t solicitors retain c o n v e y a n c i ng files
f o r t w e l ve y e a r s, t a k i ng the v i ew that
a d v e r se p o s s e s s i on will sort o ut a ny
d i f f i c u l t i es w h i ch m i g ht n e c e s s i t a te
r e f e r e n ce to t he sale o r p u r c h a se file at a
later d a t e. H o w e v e r, it is a l so valid to
a r g u e that a v e n d o r 's file n e ed n ot b e
r e t a i n ed f o r this p e r i o d, b e c a u se the
p u r c h a s e r 's solicitor will h a v e h a d the
o p p o r t u n i ty of f u ll i n v e s t i g a t i on of title
a n d will b e p r e c l u d ed f r o m r a i s i ng
q u e r i es p o st c o m p l e t i o n, e x c e pt in c a s es
of f r a u d or m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n.
Infant Cases
A s t i me d o e s n ot b e g in to r un a g a i n st
i n f a n ts until their m a j o r i t y, i n f a nt files
m u s t b e i d e n t i f i ed a n d r e t a i n ed f o r the
a p p r o p r i a te p e r i o d.
Persons of Unsound Mind
A solicitor c a n n ot a c c e pt i n s t r u c t i o ns
f r o m a p e r s on of u n s o u nd m i n d.
H o w e v e r, o c c a s i o n a l l y, f o l l o w i ng the
c o m p l e t i on of c a s es t h e re m a y be a
s u g g e s t i on b y third p a r t i es that
i n s t r u c t i o ns s h o u ld n ot h a v e b e en
a c c e p t e d. In a ny s u ch c a s e, the file
s h o u ld be r e t a i n ed i n d e f i n i t e l y.
Other Matters
All o t h er files n e ed o n ly b e r e t a i n ed f o r
six y e a r s.
If a s o l i c i t or c o n t i n u es to act o n b e h a lf
of a c l i e nt f o r a p e r i od l o n g er t h an six
y e a rs it m a y be d e s i r a b le to retain all the
files of that client.
Books of Account
S t a t u t o ry I n s t r u m e nt N o . 3 0 4 of 1984
( C l a u se 2 0 ) p r o v i d es as f o l l o w s:
"Every solicitor should preserve for at
least ten years from the date of the last
entry therein, all accounts books,
ledgers, reconciliation statements and
records kept by him under these
regulations ".
T h i s i n c l u d es r e t u r n ed c a s h ed c h e q u e s.
Investigation of Complaints
T h e S o l i c i t o rs ( A m e n d m e n t) A ct 1994
limits t he i n v e s t i g a t i on of that c a t e g o ry
of c o m p l a i n ts b y the L a w S o c i e ty w h i ch
relate to the p r o v i s i on of legal s e r v i c es
to a p e r i od of five y e a rs b e f o re the d a te
on w h i ch the c o m p l a i nt is m a d e . Files
m u s t be r e t a i n ed f o r this p e r i o d.
Microfiche/Imaging
S o m e solicitors will p r e f er to retain
r e c o r ds o n m i c r o f i c h e / i m a g i ng r a t h er
t h an the o r i g i n al file. T h e s a me r u l es of
e v i d e n ce a p p ly to s u ch r e c o r ds as w o u ld
a p p ly to p a p er files.
Niall Casey,
Professional Guidance Committee.
Personal Injury List - No Show
by Solicitors
It h as b e en b r o u g ht to the L i t i g a t i on
C o mm i t t e e 's attention that t h e re are a
j
c o n s i d e r a b le n u m b e r of ' n o s h o w s' by
solicitors, b o th p l a i n t i f fs a n d
d e f e n d a n t s, in the D u b l in p e r s o n al
i n j u ry H i gh C o u rt list. S o l i c i t o rs are
r e m i n d ed of their o b l i g a t i o n s, as
O f f i c e rs of the C o u r t, to a t t e nd b e f o re
the C o u rt a n d i n f o rm the C o u rt w h e t h er
o r not a c a se is settled, or g o i ng o n.
S o l i c i t o rs a l so h a v e an o b l i g a t i on to
f e l l ow p r a c t i t i o n e rs a n d to the litigants
to e n s u re that a ny list is a live list, a nd
not c l o g g ed w i th d e a d - w o o d.
T h e s o l i c i t o r s' p r o f e s s i on is b e i ng
b r o u g ht into d i s r e p u te by the c o n t i n u i ng
f a i l u re of solicitors to a t t e nd at the call-
o v e r of p e r s o n al i n j u ry lists in the H i g h
C o u r t in D u b l i n. T h e S o c i e ty v i e ws
m o s t s e r i o u s ly the b e h a v i o ur of
solicitors w h o treat the C o u rt w i th s u ch
d i s r e s p e c t, a nd w o u ld u r ge solicitors in
the s t r o n g e st p o s s i b le t e r ms to deal w i th
this lapse.
Litigation Committee
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