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Company carrying on business in the Republic of
Ireland.
DEAR SIR,
I have been directed by the Council to write to your
company on the subject of the fees paid to solicitors for
representing insured persons at coroners' inquests and courts
of summary jurisdiction in proceedings arising from accidents
covered by motor insurance policies.
Under the ordinary policy the company undertakes to pay
the solicitor's fee incurred with its written consent for repre
sentation at any coroner's inquest in respect ofany death which
may be the subject of indemnity under the policy or for defend
ing in any court of summary jurisdiction any proceedings in
respect of any act causing an event which may be the subject
of indemnity. The fee usually paid to a solicitor pre war for
this work was about £3
$s.
od. for each appearance. In April
1959 the Society published in the GAZETTE issued to members
a recommendation that the minimum fee for dangerous driving
charges should be £5 55. od. plus a reasonable addition for
time and travelling expenses where the case is heard in a
town other than the town where the solicitor has his principal
office. It was stated that these were (at that time) reasonable
fees for normal cases and did not apply to cases of exceptional
difficulty ortocases of drunkenness in charge ofmotorvehicles.
A copy of the statement which was printed in the Society's
.GAZETTE in April 1959 is appended.
Solicitors, in common with allother professions and business
offices, are subject to the ever increasing burden of overhead
expenses due to the present inflationary trend. The effects of
the eighth round wage increases on solicitors' operating
expenses are becoming apparent and the Council are of opinion
that the recommendations made in 1959 require revision. The
Council have had the matter under consideration for some
time and it has now been decided that, having regard to the
factors already mentioned, the Council would not be justified
in recommending to members to accept less than a fee of
£j js.
od. when instructed by an insurance company in the
defence of Road Traffic Act Summonses in the District Court,
that is to say, in all cases to which the present minimum fee of
£5 55. od. applies. In addition, the Council are of opinion that
an additional fee, where appropriate, should be paid to a
solicitor for attendance in Court for the taking of depositions
in any Road Traffic Act case.
It is intended to bring the
Council's recommendation to the notice of members of the
Society shortly but it was decided before so doing to bring
its terms to the attention of your company.
Yours faithfully,
ERIC A. PLUNKETT,
Secretary.
The Council hope that all members will conform
to the recommendation contained in the foregoing
letter.
PROGRAMME OF LECTURES 1962/63
COURSE A.—Company Law.
50 Lectures delivered
as follows :—Michaelmas Sittings—20 ; Hilary
Sittings—20 ; Easter Sittings—10.
Lectures
each Monday and Thursday at 2.15 p.m. save
where otherwise notified.
COURSE B.—Conveyancing Law and Practice and
Land Law, 50 lectures delivered as follows:—
Michaelmas Sittings—20 ; Hilary Sittings—20 ;
Easter Sittings—10.
Lectures each Tuesday
and Friday at 9 a.m. save where otherwise
notified.
COURSE C.—The Procedure and Practice of the
Courts, 50 lectures delivered as follows :—
Michaelmas Sittings—20 ; Hilary Sittings—20 ;
Easter Sittings—10.
Lectures each Monday
and Saturday at 9 a.m. save where otherwise
notified.
COURSE D.—Taxation including death duties, 50
lectures delivered
as
follows :—Michaelmas
Sittings—20 ; Hilary Sittings—20 ; Easter Sit
tings—10. Lectures each Wednesday at 9 a.m.
and Saturday at 10 a.m. save where otherwise
notified.
COURSE E.—Book-keeping, 50 lectures delivered as
follows :—Michaelmas
Sittings—20 ;
Hilary
Sittings—20 ; Easter Sittings—10.
Lectures
each Monday and Friday at 5.15 p.m. save
where otherwise notified.
COURSE F.—Probate and executorship
law and
practice, 50 lectures delivered as follows :—
Michaelmas Sittings—20 ;
Hilary Sittings—
20 ;
Easter Sittings—10.
Lectures each
Tuesday and Friday at 2.15 p.m. save where
otherwise notified.
Students at Course A to F who fail to attend and
receive credit from the lecturer for at least 40 lectures
in each Course will not receive credit from the
Council and must repeat any Course missed.
COURSE G.—The rights, duties and responsibilities
of solicitors, 2 lectures. An apprentice, to obtain
credit, must attend both lectures. The dates on
which the lectures will be held will be an
nounced at a later date.
For a selection of recommended reading see the
published syllabus for the first, second and third
law, and book-keeping examinations. The lecturer
will not necessarily undertake to cover the entire
field in each subject, or lecture out of any particular
text book. He will advise the class as to its reading
and will assume that each student will have read on
the lines advised, in advance of each lecture, on the
subject matter of the lecture. The aim of lectures
will be to guide students in their work and to
illustrate, explain and supplement their reading.
Fee—10 guineas for each Course except Course
G for which there is no fee.