379 / 482
GAZETTE
OCTOBER 1989
I M
at
Fou r Court
s
The volume of work transacted i n
the Four Courts i s prodigious by
anyone's reckoning. The solicitors
who haunt the Round Hall and the
immediate environs o f the Four
Courts and their ancillary staff have
long operated in relatively marginal
conditions with few o f the com-
forts o f life. While th e La w
Society's Consultation Rooms and
the limited facilities provided by the
Law Society office were of invalu-
able assistance, i t has long been
felt by practitioners that an upgrad-
ing of facilities for the transaction
of legal business in the Four Courts
was long overdue.
In 1988 the Office o f Public
Works surrendered their lease on a
portion of the Solicitors Buildings in
the Four Courts which had previ-
ously been used as the Judges
Library and the Scrivenery Office.
With the building of new adminis-
trative offices for the Four Courts
on the site of the old Four Courts
Hotel, a great number o f long
standing administrative problems
were solved and the Judges Library
and the Scrivenery Office could at
last be accommodated elsewhere.
The immediate reaction from the
profession was more Consultation
Rooms, but with the demise o f
juries in running down actions a lot
of people were unsure i f the de-
mand fo r Consultation Rooms
would remain constant or decrease.
Then there was the "more and
more telephones" lobby, not t o
mention the brave few who wanted
saunas and massage parlours.
However, Brian Mahon, solicitor
of Tullamore, and Chairman of the
Premises Committee, called for a
draft plan from Chris Mahon, the
Secretary t o the Premises Com-
mittee. After trawling the opinions
of a large number of solicitors who
frequently practise i n th e Four
Courts i t was obvious that there
were certain facilities which were
regarded as the basic minimum.
People were certainly anxious t o
have a better standard of Consulta-
tion Room. It was felt that with the
upsurge in the number of arbitra-
tions taking place, proper facilities
for the function would also be very
useful.
The Law Society office i n the
Four Courts was very small and
very uncomfortable both for the
staff who worked there and for the
solicitors who crammed into the
small space in front of the counter
in the middle o f a hectic day.
Clearly something had to be done
about that situation.
A Document Exchange linked to
the Exchange i n Merrion Square
and t o Document Exchanges
throughout the Country was a clear
favourtie and negotiations were
opened w i t h Ke n Mills, th e
Managing Director o f the D.D.E.,
with a view to creating a Document
Exchange franchise.
One facility which had been
talked about for years and indeed
dreamt about b y many was a
Solicitors Shop. This shop was
seen as providing every item gener-
ally used i n a solicitors office
together with some o f the daily
comforts o f lifesuch a s news-
papers, cigarettes and snacks. I t
was obvious that this facility would
also have to be franchised, and was
eventually put in the capable hands
of Legal & General Stationers.
After much discussion by the
Premises Committee and the even-
tual general approval of the Council
of the Law Society, the following
facilities were agreed upon:-
a. Larger office facilities incorpor-
ating extra telephones, an in and
out Fax and better photocopy-
ing facilities;
b. New and better Consultation
Rooms;
c. A large Arbitration Room suit-
able fo r international arbitra-
tions i f necessary;
d. A Document Exchange;
e. A solicitors shop.
The President of the Law Society,
Mr. Maurice R. Curran, at a Press
Reception in the Solicitors Buildings
in the Four Courts on the 29th
September, 1989 opened the above
facilities for use by the profession
with the enthusiastic reception of
all those present. There were repre-
sentatives o f the judiciary, th e
D partment o f Justice, the Four
Courts Administration, the Court
Reporters and a large number o f
members of the Council of the Law
Society, the Dublin Solicitors Bar
Association and the Presidents and
Secretaries o f Bar Associations
throughout the Country.
Brian Mahon, Chairman o f the
Premises Committee, has assured
everybody that he has not finished
yet and that slowly but surely the
other facilities in the Four Courts
will be brought up to a standard
which members of the profession
will appreciate and which will
enable them to carry out their work
in the Four Courts in relative peace
and comfort.
•
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Law Society wishes to advise that through its
Employment Register, i t facilitates Solicitors
currently seeking employment or contemplating a
change of present employment.
For further details contact:
M I R I AM A. WALSH,
EDUCAT I ON OFF I CER,
THE LAW SOCIETY,
BLACKHALL PLACE,
DUBL IN 7 .
3 5 7