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The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
[FEBRUARY, 1914
limiting of appointments as Resident Magis-
.
trates to those who are District Inspectors of
the first class and have been District Inspec
tors for not less
than ten years, and to
practising Barristers or Solicitors of seven
years' standing.
The Bar Council and this
Council strongly approve of the objects of the
Bill, and will endeavour to influence support
in its favour.
Legal Appointments.
A letter in reply, dated 17th January, was
read from the Lord Chancellor's Secretary,
intimating that the appointments to the office
of Chief Clerk and Assistant Chief Clerk in
the Chambers of the Master of the Rolls and
of Mr. Justice Barton rest with the Judge of
the Court to which the office is attached, and
not with the Lord Chancellor.
A letter in reply, dated 16th January, was
read from Mr. Justice Barton stating there
was then no vacancy in any of the offices
connected with his Court, but that in the
event of any vacancy occurring he would not
fail to bear in mind the contents of the
Secretary's
letter, directing attention
to
Section 12 of the Chancery (Ireland) Act,
1867, and requesting consideration for the
claims of the Solicitors' profession.
A vacancy having occurred on the 24th
January in the office of Chief Clerk to Mr.
Justice Barton, and a letter having been
written to the Judge asking him to hear the
views of
the Society before making an
appointment, a letter received in reply, dated
27th January, was read from Mr. Justice
Barton stating that he had found it necessary
to fill the vacancies which had occurred in
his Court since the Secretary's letter of 15th
January ;
that he had carefully considered
the resolution of the Council, and if it had
not been for the strong claims of an officer
of his Court who had served for twelve years,
he would have appointed a Solicitor to be
Assistant Chief Clerk.
The following resolution was passed :
Resolved :—
" The Council of the Incorporated Law
Society of Ireland observe with regret and
dissatisfaction
that, notwithstanding
the
representations made by them in support of
the strong claims of the Solicitors' profession
for appointment to the offices of Chief Clerk
and Assistant Chief Clerk,
the Chancery
Judge has appointed to both of those offices
persons other than Solicitors.
" The Council submit that Solicitors are
pre-eminently qualified for the office of Chief
Clerk, and the Chancery Act, 1867, expressly
recognises this fact, in naming in the first
instance that those eligible for the position
should be Solicitors of ten years' standing.
" The Council draw attention to the few
appointments open by statute exclusively to
Solicitors
and
to
the
almost
invariable
practice of passing over the claims of Solicitors
where a statute permits the appointment of a
Solicitor or of some other person to an office
of a legal nature.
" The Council hope that the appointments
recently made, and to which attention is
drawn by this resolution, will not be acted
upon as precedents in the future, but that
when vacancies occur the claims of Solicitors
will receive due recognition."
Copies* of the foregoing resolution were
directed to be sent to the Lord Chancellor
and to Mr. Justice Barton.
Illegal Conveyancing.
A report was submitted stating that in
proceedings brought by
the Society at
Tipperary Quarter
Sessions,
under
27
Victoria, Cap. 8, against an auctioneer for
having practised as a conveyancer for remu
neration, a decree for a penalty of £10 was
obtained. The facts of this case are more
fully reported in this GAZETTE.
Certificates.
Applications by two Solicitors for renewal
of their certificates were considered, and
orders were made in both cases.
Affidavits.
A report was submitted from the Court and
Offices Committee upon a letter from an
English Solicitor who is a Commissioner for
Oaths, in which he suggested that the Society
should take steps to obtain the repeal of the
rule of
the
Irish Supreme Court which
requires the Commissioner
to certify his