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Question :
To ask the Minister for Justice why
members of the public have to wait for upwards
of an hour for service or to inspect folios in the
general office of the Land Registry; and how
soon the staff will be increased in number and
the system so improved that the public will be
no longer required to endure such bad services.
—Richie Ryan
Answer :
I am satisfied that members of the public
do not have to wait for upwards of an hour for
service in the Public Office of the Land Registry.
Even at the busiest times, the longest a member
of the public has to wait for service is normally
about 10 minutes.
Exceptional delay of an hour or so arrises
only when the document sought for inspection
is attached to a pending dealing, application,
etc., and takes some time to locate. Reorganisa
tion of the Land Registry, which is at an ad
vanced stage will include arrangements to make
it considerably easier to locate a folio that is in
action.
INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION
Tokyo Conference, 24th-28th August, 1970
The provisional programme for this conference
was printed in the September-October number of
the Society's
Gazette.
The English Law Society
are arranging charter flights for their own mem
bers. Enquiries are being made as to whether mem
bers of this Society would be entitled to travel on
these flights. The IBA secretariat are also arrang
ing charter flights. Any member of this Society
who proposes to attend the conference in Tokyo
can obtain further particulars from the Secretary.
Places in the charter flights will be allocated in
strict order of application. In order to be eligible
for inclusion in any of these flights a participant
must become a subscribing member of the Inter
national Bar Association and must pay the appro
priate membership fees not later than six months
before date of departure.
EUROPEAN GROUP CONFERENCE
A week-end Conference of the European Group
of the English Law Society was held in Worcester
College, Oxford, from Friday 26th September to
Sunday 28th September. As Mr. Gavan Duffy
was in London on business, he was invited to
attend.
About 60 English solicitors interested in
the
entry of Britain into the European Economic Com
munity attended and the pleasant atmosphere of
an Oxford College p rovided an
ideal meeting
ground for discussions. The first paper was given
by Lindhorst Homan, European Community re
presentative in London, on "Recent Developments
in the European Community". The lecturer spoke
informally with great authority on this complicated
subject, and aroused so much interest in it, that
a special evening session was arranged for Dr.
Homan to answer further questions. In particular,
Dr. Homan stressed the four guiding principles
laid down by the Spaak committee to formulate
policy within the community, as follows :
1. As
long as an European Economic Union
would not have achieved a common policy
in the social and fiscal field, the principles
to be attained by a European Common Mar
ket should be clearly stated.
2. The more important decisions would have
to be taken unanimously by all Government
members, as majority decisions would inevi
tably lead to deals.
3. A majority vote however should generally
be allowed
in ordinary decisions of
the
Council of Ministers.
4. A Court of Justice of the Community was
essential to construe the Treaty of Rome and
supervision of political decisions should be
undertaken by the European Parliament.
Subsequently, Mr. R. Mustoe, Q.C. gave a very
illuminating and sparkling address on "Transact
ing Commercial Contracts with Europe", Mr.
Mustoe had such a masterful knowledge of his
subject that its intricacies seemed easy to the out
sider. His main points centred around the form
of contract, the choice of law which governed the
contract, and the tribunal which would adjudicate
upon the contract.
On Saturday night, Mr. Gavan Duffy as re
presenting the Irish lawyers was honoured by being
invited to dine at the top table. On Sunday morn
ing, there was an interesting discussion on "The
purchasing of property in Europe", this was ini
tiated by Mr. Trevor Brown, an English solicitor
practising in Paris, who dealt fully with the pit
falls facing an English purchaser wishing to buy
property
in France. Mr. David Davidson, an
accountant, dealt with the tax problems involved,
while Mr. Patrick O'Loughlin, of Messrs. Link-
laters and Paines, an old Glenstal boy, gave a
humorous account of how to deal with Italian
vendors; other speakers dealt with the position in
Germany and Spain.
Altogether it was a most interesting experience
and the Chairman of the Group, Mr. George
Goddard, and his hard-working committee, are to
be congratulated upon a most successful and en
joyable venture.
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