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The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland
[December, 1940
Mr. John Fottrell was a member of the
Council from 1900 to 1913 and was a Vice-
President of the Society in the year 1902-3.
Although he had retired from practice some
time before his death, many in this Hall will
remember him as an active member of our
profession, carrying into our own day the
high tradition of a family which for a hundred
years has borne an honoured name in the
legal life of our country.
\Yithin the last few days the Society and
our profession has suffered a great loss in the
death of an honoured and beloved Past
President. The late Mr. Robert G. V.'arren
served on the Council for a long period and
occupied the presidential chair in the year
1918-1919. I think only three of the members
of the outgoing Council served under Mr.
Warren as President, but many of vis remem–
ber him as a wise and loyal colleague ever
ready to place his long experience and sound
judgment at the disposal of the Council or
indeed of any member of the profession
who sought his aid.
To the relatives of both these past members
of the Council I beg to tender on behalf of the
Society an expression of sympathy-
It is satisfactory to note that during the
past year the membership of the Society has
increased by the substantial figure of forty-
one.
As mentioned
in
the Report,
this
happy state of affairs must be attributed to
the speech made by my predecessor in the
chair, Mr. D. T
Reilly, at the meeting in
November 1939. Mr. Reilly thus closed his
year of office, in which he did such splendid
work for the profession, by an appeal which
proved successful beyond expectation, though
not beyond its skill or merits.
I should like
to think that Mr. Reilly's appeal has not yet
spent its force and that the membership
of the Society will show a further increase
during 1941.
The principal matters which have engaged
the attention of the Council during the past
year are mentioned in the Annual Report,
and I need not weary you by referring at
length to all of them.
I think the record
shews that the Council has looked after the
interests of the profession with care and
diligence.
It is probably unnecessary to say
that by far the greater part of the work of
the Council is not that which finds its way
into the Annual Report, but is nevertheless
of the highest importance to the profession
at
large,
to
individual members of
the
Society and to the public.
I may, however, be excused if I occupy
your attention for a short time in referring
particularly to one very important matter
which occupied the Council during the past
year, namely, the production of a draft Bill,
which if, and when, it receives the approval
of the Society, will be introduced into Parlia–
ment, and it is to be hoped will in due
course pass into law.
At page 9 of the Annual Report appears a
brief account of the origin of the Bill and the
steps so far taken in regard to it.
The Council approached the task imposed
upon it by the resolution of the Annual
Meeting of November, 1937, with a feeling
of great responsibility.
It became evident
at the start that the direction given to the
Council by the resolution could only be
effected by means of an Act
to confer
additional powers on the Society. The first
point to be decided was whether to promote
a Bill to amend the Act of 1898 in certain
particulars only or to seek a more compre–
hensive measure effecting such changes in
the law as were considered necessary or
desirable in relation to the profession and
giving the Society wider powers than it now
has by law. This is not an opportune time
to explain the provisions of the draft Bill
or to debate its merits. The draft has been
sent to each local Solicitors' Bar Association
throughout the country, and copies will be
available for perusal in the Societv's library,
but it is felt that a reasonable time should be
given to enable the members of the Society
to acquaint themselves with the provisions
of the Bill before proceeding with its con–
sideration.
It is intended in due course to call a special
meeting of the Society at which the Bill will
be fully, but privately, considered, and the
Council will then be prepared to explain the
reasons which appeared good to them for
seeking a comprehensive measure rather than
a mere amending Act, and to give all such
information and explanations as may be
necessary
for
its
full
examination
and
discussion.