The Gazette 1987

GAZETTE

SEPTEMBER 1987

wise or learned men among you let

them show it by their good lives

with humility and wisdom in their

actions".

It is appropriate to extend a

warm word of praise to the gallant

efforts of the Free Legal Advice

Centres which try to provide a

voluntary service to some of the

most vulnerable and oppressed

groups in our society. Young

solicitors and barristers, and some

not so young, give freely of their

expertise to advise and represent

those who have welfare, employ-

ment or family law problems. This

is making a real contribution to a

more just society. To carry on this

service against a background of

severe funding problems, as the

Free Legal Advice Centres did over

the past year, is a testimony of the

true Christian concern for those

who live in poverty. The record of

these Centres in defending the in-

terests of the voiceless is a

welcome development for a pro-

fession which has not always con-

sidered areas such as social

welfare legislation as a priority. The

inclusion of this subject on the Law

Society's curriculum has marked a

growing realisation of the duty of

solicitors towards the poor; may

we hope to see their colleagues in

the King's Inns follow suit in the

near future?

In this country, we have a grow-

ing body of social legislation in the

areas of health, welfare, housing

provision and in the field of family

law. Lawyers and the legal system

play an important role in inter-

preting the rights of individuals

under this body of law. Unfor-

tunately, the potential role of

lawyers in this area is often severe-

ly limited by the fact that the poor

are intimidated by legal language,

knowledge and processes which

are so mystifying to the outsider.

Access to legal service is also

restricted because of financial con-

siderations. The skeleton Civil

Legal Aid Scheme operated by the

State leaves much to be desired.

The fact that its eight Centres

operate only in urban areas, and

that three of its four Dublin based

centres are located in the City Cen-

tre, means that vast tracts of rural

areas and large suburban areas

have no local service. And indeed,

the means test operated under the

scheme sets an income ceiling so

low that it excludes many who

simply could not afford to pay the

going rate for legal services.

In the area of civil and human

rights, the Christian teaching on

justice offers a strong critique of

the erosion of individual civil liber-

ties. The implications of cases in a

neighbouring jurisdiction which

have received much publicity late-

ly raise serious questions about the

accountability of the criminal

justice system in that country, and

must place upon the Irish legal

system an obligation to proceed

very cautiously in any considera-

tion of extraditing Irish citizens to

that jurisdiction. Our own legal

system must continue to examine

very critically the operating of Sec-

tion 30 of the Offences Against

the State Act. The detention

aspects of the new Criminal

Justice Act provide a further op-

portunity for our legal system to

weigh up the rights of the in-

dividual to civil liberties balanced

against the defence of the State

and the common good.

The Christian lawyer must insist

that in justice every human be

treated with dignity and with

respect. May I remind you of St.

James who said "the wisdom that

comes down from above is essen-

tially something pure; it also makes

for peace, and is kindly and con-

siderate; it is full of compassion,

and shows itself by doing good; nor

is there any trace of partiality or

hypocrisy in it".

In this Mass, let us now join in

praying that in the coming year, as

members of the legal profession in

Ireland, you may live a life of Chris-

tian fulfilment, answering Christ's

challenge of love, to build a com-

munity where, in the words of

Isaiah, "my people will live in a

peaceful home, in safe houses, in

quiet dwellings, where integrity will

bring peace, where justice will give

lasting security".

•

REGISTER OF ACCOMMODATION

FOR ELDERLY

IN DUBLIN

prepared by

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' Completely revised and updated

since first published in 1969 - by

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House, Terenure, Dublin 6.

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