293 / 448
GAZETTE
OCTOBER 1996
The Law Society of England and Wales Tennis
Team- v - Law Society of Ireland Tennis Team
Left to right: John Campbell, Michael Doran, John Mark Downey, Noel Sheridan,
Frank Egan (captain), Garbhán
O'Nualláin.
Match played at Roehampton on
7 and 8 September 1996
RESULTS
(Irish n a m e s first)
M i c h a el D o r an a nd N o el S h e r i d an lost
to P a ul C h e v a l i er a nd M a r k S t a p l e t on
2-6
3 - 6.
M i c h a el D o r an a nd N o el S h e r i d an beat
S i m o n J o n es a nd R o b in S p r i n g t h o r pe
6-1 6-0.
M i c h a el D o r an a nd N o el S h e r i d an beat
J o n a t h an S t e p h e ns a nd J u l i an
T h o m p s o n G l o v er 6 - 3 6 - 0.
F r a nk E g a n a nd G a r b h an O ' N u a l l a in
beat S i m o n J o n es a nd R o b in
S p r i n g t h o r pe 6 - 3 6 - 3.
F r a nk E g a n a n d G a r b h an O ' N u a l l a in
beat J o n a t h an S t e p h e ns a n d J u l i an
T h o m p s o n G l o v er 6 - 1 6 - 2.
J o h n C a m p b e ll a nd J o h n M a r k D o w n e y
lost to P a ul C h e v a l i er a nd M a r k
S t a p l e t on 3 - 6 , 2 - 6.
J o h n C a m p b e ll a nd J o h n M a r k D o w n e y
d r e w w i th S i m o n J o n es a nd R o b in
S p r i n g t h o r pe 6 - 4 , 3 - 6 .
J o h n C a m p b e ll a nd J o hn M a r k D o w n e y
d r e w with J o n a t h an S t e p h e ns a nd Julian
T h o m p s o n G l o v er 3 - 6 , 6 - 4 .
A c c o r d i ng to the M i n i s t e r, " t he Bill
w a s c o n s i d e r ed to b e v e ry mo d e r a t e.
In m a n y E u r o p e an c o u n t r i e s, all
p r o p e r ty a nd not j u st the f a m i ly h o m e
is d e e m e d to be j o i n t ly o w n e d by
b o th s p o u s e s ."
B ut the S u p r e me C o u rt i n t e r p r e t ed the
C o n s t i t u t i on d i f f e r e n t l y, r u l i ng that the
Bill u n d e r m i n ed the C o n s t i t u t i o n al right
of p r i v a te p r o p e r t y.
" T h e o n ly w a y that p i e ce of b u s i n e ss
c an be b u r i ed is w h e n w e b r i ng in a n e w
C o n s t i t u t i o n. T h e C o n s t i t u t i o n al R e v i ew
C o mm i t t ee h as r e p o r t e d. It is a v e ry
i mp r e s s i ve d o c u m e n t ."
H o w e v e r, a ny m o v e s to b r i ng in a n e w
C o n s t i t u t i on will not h a p p en in the short
t e r m.
F a m i ly l a w y e rs p o i nt to the v u l n e r a b le
p o s i t i on of m a n y p e o p le in n o n - ma r i t al
r e l a t i o n s h i p s. T h is w o u ld a p p e ar to be
the n e xt a r ea f o r T a y l or a nd his
d e p a r t m e nt to c o n c e n t r a te o n. But the
M i n i s t er a p p e a rs to b a ck o ff f r om a ny
f u r t h er m o v e s h e r e, n o d o u bt m i n d f ul of
the r e c e nt H i gh C o u rt j u d g m e nt in the
E n n i s / B u t t e r ly case.
O n c e a g a i n, it s e e m s, the C o n s t i t u t i on
s t a n ds like a R o t t w e i l e r, b a r r i ng the w a y
to f u n d a m e n t al r e f o r m.
R e t i r e m e nt is r e p u t e d ly on M e r v y n 's
m i n d. A k e en g a r d e n er a nd f o l l o w er of
classical mu s i c, he will m i ss the
h o t h o u se a t m o s p h e re of politics less
than s o m e of his c o l l e a g u e s. H o w e v e r,
s u g g e s t i o ns that h e p l a ns to retire to
Israel are f i r m ly d i s c o u n t e d. "I h a v e n o
p l a ns to e m i g r a t e ," he says.
"I b e l i e ve that Irish politics h a ve
e v o l v ed f o r the b e t t er in m a n y w a y s.
T h e f a ct that F i a n na Fail n o w e n t e rs
C o a l i t i o ns is a g o o d thing. It m e a n s
that G o v e r n m e n ts will b e m o r e
b r o a d ly b a s e d ."
" T h e s t r u g g le f o r e q u a l i ty is an o n g o i ng
b u s i n e s s, l aw r e f o r m e v e n m o r e so. L a w
is a living thing. It is not s o m e t h i ng that
o n e c an f r e e z e ."
*Kyran Fitzgerald is a solicitor,
journalist, writer and researcher.
F r a nk E g a n a nd G a r b h an O ' N u a l l a in
b e at Paul C h e v a l i er a nd M a r k S t a p l e t on
6 - 4 6 - 4.
Match Result
L a w S o c i e ty of E n g l a nd a nd W a l e s 6
L a w S o c i e ty of Ireland 12
•
SOLICITORS ACTS 1954 to 1994
A COMPENDIUM
The complete Solicitors Acts consolidated and
referenced in one volume.
Available from:
Linda Dolan
The Law Society
Blackhall Place, Dublin 7.
Phone: 671 0711
Cost: £15.00 + p.p. £3.20
n
282