364 / 736
be changed to enable account to be taken in bail
applications of the previous bad character of an
accused and the views of responsible police officers
that there is a likelihood of further criminal acts
if the accused is on bail pending trial. As far as
safeguarding the liberty of the individual is con
cerned, I would like to emphasise that what I
propose is fully in accordance with the funda
mental principles of penal law laid down in 1961
by the International Commission of Jurists. I
might also mention that what I propose is in line
with provisions in recent British legislation on the
subject. I am, of course, aware that there are
constitutional difficulties involved in the framing
of the particular legislation required but I am
confident that these difficulties can be overcome.
The Landlord and Tenant Commission, who
have so far presented two reports dealing with
specific issues, are now engaged on their main
work, that is to say, a review of the whole law
of landlord and tenant other than the Rent Res
trictions Acts. This work will,
I hope,
lead
ultimately to a single statute which will modernise
and consolidate the statute law on the subject.
I am sure that not only the legal profssion but
the public generally will be at one with me in
looking forward to the day when we can set out
in a single enactment a statement in modern terms
of the whole statute law on the subject of landlord
and tenant. The task which the commission have
undertaken is an onerous one, but we can be
confident that the resulting legislation will well
repay the work involved.
In the meantime the Government have already
approval of my proposals based on
the com
mission's first report and a draft Bill has been
prepared. I hope to bring my proposals based on
the second report before the Government in the
near future. The first of these reports deals with
the renewal of occupational tenancies and calls
for the amendment of parts of the 1931 Landlord
and Tenant Act. The second deals with extensions
of the rights of renewal and of outright purchase
given by the Landlord and Tenant Acts from
1931 to 1947 to what may be called ground rent
tenants. It deals
inter alia
with the^renewal of
sportng club tenancies and the rights of local
authority tenants. I propose to amalgamate my
proposals in the draft Bill on occupational tenan
cies with my proposals based on the second report
and to bring one comprehensive measure before
the Oireachtas. This will call for the repeal of
al the Landlord and Tenant Acts from 1931 on,
and for the re-enactment of the surviving portions
of those Acts together with new provisions based
on the commission's recommendations. The pro
posals which I hope shortly to put before the
Government will represent a useful step on the
road to the major achievement of a single land
lord and tenant code.
The Circuit Court Rules Committee are revising
and consolidating the circuit court rules and I
understand that they have made considerable
progress with this task. In addition they have
prepared draft rules dealing with procedures under
the Succession Act, 1965, the Local Government
(Planning and Development) Act, 1963, and the
Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) Act, 1967.
The Superior Courts Rules Committee drafted
two sets of rules dealing respectively with con
tentious and non-contentious probate business,
which are necessary under the Succession Act,
1965. These drafts were examined and certain
amendments which were suggested to the com
mittee are being considered.
County Tipperary and Offaly (Birr Division)
Sessional Bar Associatinn
At the Annual General Meeting of this Asso
ciation the following Officers and Committee were
elected for the Session 1969-70.
President—Martin T. Butler, Thurles.
Hon Secretary—John Carrigan, Thurles.
Hon. Treasurer— Martin T- Butler, Thurles.
Committee—Michael C. Black, Nenagh; Michael
O'Meara, Nenagh; Patrick F. Treacy, Nenagh;
John C. Devitt, Roscrea; A.
I. Cunningham,
Templemore; John J. Nash, Templemore; Donal
G. Binchy, Clonmel; Francis Murphy, Clonmel;
Thomas J. Reilly, Clonmel; Kieran T. Flynn, Tip
perary; Robert A. Frewen, Tipperary; Miss Joan
Kelly, Tipperary; Richard D. Kennedy, Tipperary;
William F. O'Connell, Tipperary.
BEECHING PLAN FOR JUDGES
A judicial system which was created for the
conditions of early medieval England and Wales
is hardly likely to remain appropriate for the
twentieth century. The Royal Commission on
Assizes and Quarter Sessions, appointed almost
three years ago under Lord Beeching, has now
published proposals in a commendable report. The
pity is that such a review was not undertaken
many years earlier.
The present pattern of courts and the rising
crime rate have combined to produce often inor
dinate delays in both civil and criminal business-
Civil actions are frequently postponed because of
the need to clear the backlog of criminal work.
81