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The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland
[May, 1940
EXAMINATION RESULTS.
A year ago Mr. Reilly, my predecessor in
the chair, referred at some length to the
falling-off in the standard of answering at
our examinations which was a matter of
concern to the Council.
I regret to say that
at any rate so far as the Final Examination
is concerned there has been no improvement.
For a considerable time even a special certifi–
cate has seldom been achieved, and at times
the standard has been so low that the Council
has
felt unable
to award
the valuable
Findlater Scholarship. As against this very
unsatisfactory state of affairs, we are able
to record a marked improvement in
the
results of recent Examinations in the Irish
language.
I do not say that there is necess–
arily any close
connection between
the
improvement in the one case and the disim-
provement in the other, but I desire to
impress upon candidates for our examinations
that proficiency in the Irish language, while
a condition precedent to entry to the pro–
fession, must not be achieved at the expense
of a knowledge of law and practice, and that
the Society has no intention of lowering the
standard of legal education and knowledge
required for admission to the profession.
In
fact it may be found necessary to follow the
tendency exhibited by other professions and
to prescribe even stricter and more onerous
tests of proficiency before passing appren–
tices into the responsibilities of practice.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY.
At the risk of being accused of lack of
originality I venture to repeat the appeal
so often made by my predecessors in office
for an increase in membership of the Society.
I am of course, aware that all of you whom I
am addressing are members, but through
your
efforts others
of
our professional
brethren who so far have not joined the
Society might very well be approached with
a request to do what to my mind is their
obvious duty.
In particular I would appeal
to ever}? Solicitor who has an apprentice to
see that the advantages of membership are
impressed upon him or her.
I have recently
seen a statement that the English Law Society
is seeking an Act of Parliament which will
make membership
of
the Law Society
compulsory for all Solicitors.
I am not sure
that stich a method of obtaining members for
our Society would be desirable even if it were
feasible, but I trust that the day will come
when every Solicitor admitted will voluntarily
as a matter of duty to his profession and to
his own interest, join the Society.
The Meeting then terminated.
MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL.
4th April.
Twenty-four members present.
The consideration was continued of draft
Solicitors' Bill, 1940.
25th April.
Twenty-four members present.
High Court Judgments.
The President informed the Council of a
discussion which he and Dr. Quirke as
representatives of the Council on the Incor–
porated Council of Law Reporting had with
that Council, in reference to a letter received
by this Council from a member of this
Society drawing attention to what he con–
sidered the excessive expense of obtaining
copies of judgments from Court Reporters.
The Council of Law Reporting informed the
President and Dr. Quirke of the financial
difficulties involved and undertook to dis–
cuss the matter more fully later on and to
submit further particulars.
Land Commission.
A letter was read from a member drawing
attention to delays on the part of the Land
Commission in the noting of assignments of
lands not yet vested.
It was directed that a
letter be written to the Land Commission
drawing attention to this matter.
Solicitors' Bill.
The consideration was continued of draft
Solicitors' Bill, 1940.
OBITUARY.
MR. JAMES M. MURPHY, Solicitor, Tralee,
died on the 3rd April, 1940, at Tralee.
Mr. Murphy was admitted
in Trinity
Sittings, 1890, and practised at Tralee up to
1922, when he retired.