112 / 736
from many quarters-from members of the public,
often those who have been unsuccessful in liti
gation; from other members of the profession;
from barristers unable to obtain payment of fees;
from members of the Oireachtas on behalf of their
constituents; from other professional people en
gaged by the solicitor on behalf of a client and
from solicitors practising in other jurisdictions.
Many of the complaints could possibly be avoided
altogether if the solicitors could keep their clients
more in touch with what is happening. In this
regard every solicitor must be regarded as a
Public Relations Officer. Among the matters com
plained of are :-delay, failure
to account for
money, failure to hand over papers, acting for
two or more clients whose interests conflict and
even complaints of delay in submitting bills of
costs. A small number of the complaints received
find their way to the Registrars Committee yet
that committee's agenda includes some two hours
work every second week. The majority of com
plaints are dealt with by the staff of the Society
and the matter is disposed of satisfactorily.
A complaint which
is made with some fre
quency is that one solicitor will not accept in
structions to act against another in an action for
negligence. It is appreciated that it is never a
pleasant duty for a professional man to take pro
ceedings against a colleague, but solicitors are
officers of the Court and they are failing in their
professional duty if they are aware of an injustice
and refuse on grounds of human respect or other
wise to protect the rights of the citizen.
POSITION VACANT
or
(How to rid oneself of an
assistant)
In March 1967 we wrote of an Assistant Required,
now that a twelvemonth has elapsed we consider
he might move to greater things.
1.
Pay pre-war wages—everything pre war was
solid and safe.
2.
Expect the impossible and you may discover
the usual (i.e. the assistant is a human being).
3. Do not provide a separate office for new
comers, this induces conceit, let him start at
the bottom of the ladder, preferably indexing
old files in the basement.
4. On no account let good clients go to Mr. X,
he may make a diplomatic blunder by telling
the blunt truth.
5.
If a problem may be solved in several ways,
insist that there are only two methods, yours
and the wrong one. Demand that your method
be followed-this enkindles indignation which
will provide the momentum to move on.
6. Keep nagging about trivialities from day to
day-beware of offering helpful criticism on a
matter of real importance.
7. Arrive late in the office each morning to show
who
is
the boss-correspondence may await
your hallowed hands but Mr. X must learn
to festina lente.
8. Delay his departure each evening-Mr. X
may have a home but his domestic or per
sonal life are no concern of yours-are they?
A BONE OF CONTENTION
To the Minister for Justice.
Question:
To ask the Minister for Justice if he will say in
respect of the year ended 31st July 1967 (a) the
total number of court orders lodged with sheriffs
and county registrars for execution, (b) the returns
of
nulla bona
and (c) seizures and sales effected.
—Richie Ryan.
Answer:
The information requested by the Deputy is as
follows :-
(a)
15,275
(b)
6,027
(c)
Seizures : 257, and Sales : 62.
HOME TRUTHS
The Review of Contemporary Law
(1/1967)
contains an article on 'The new family code of
the German Democratic Republic' by Hilde Ben
jamin, Minister of Justice. The following quota
tion is taken therefrom :—"An illigitimate birth
should not be the source of inconvenience either
to the child or to the parents. Any provision to the
contrary is hereby abrogated".
MEDICO LEGAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND
The final meeting of the current session of the
Society was held on Friday March 29th at the
Royal Hibernian Hotel at 8 p.m. It took the
92