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GAZETTE
JULY/AUGUST 1982
Correspondence
22 July, 1982
Mr. J. J. Ivers,
Director General,
Incorporated Law Society of Ireland,
Blackhall Place,
Dublin 7.
professionwouldmore than coverourpresent needs and the
balance would be put to very good use.
Yours sincerely,
imelda Reynolds,
Chairperson F.L.A.C.,
3 North Earl St.,
Dublin 1.
Dear Mr. Ivers,
I am directed by the Minister for Justice to refer to
the Solicitors' Remuneration General Order, 1982 which
was made by the Statutory Body under the Solicitors'
Remuneration Act, 1881 on 1 July, 1982.
It has come to the Department's notice that there are
instances where this Order is being interpreted as
increasing the fees prescribed therein with effect from 1
July, 1982 i.e. the date the order was signed by the
Committee. The Department is anxious to clarify that this
is
not
the position.
Under the terms of section 6 of the Solicitors'
Remuneration Act, 1881 and section 3 of the Houses of
the Oireachtas (Laying of Documents) Act, 1966 such an
Order does not come into effect until it has been laid before
each House of the Oireachtas and one month or four
sitting weeks (whichever is the longer) has elapsed.
The Order was so laid on 5 July, 1982. Two sitting
weeks of the Dáil were completed when the House rose on
16 July. At the end of this week — when the Seanad is
expected to rise — almost three sitting weeks of that
House will have passed. It will be seen, therefore, that the
Solicitors' Remuneration General Order, 1982 will not
come into effect until the prerequisite statutory period has
elapsed following the resumption of the Dáil and Seanad
in the autumn.
Your sincerely,
V. O'Donnell,
Department of Justice,
72-76 St. Stephen's Green,
Dublin 2.
11 August 1982
The Editor,
Incorporated Law Society Gazette,
Blackhall Place,
Dublin 7.
Dear Sir,
F. L.A.C. has beenoffered$5,000fromthe IrelandFund
in New York, on the condition that we canmatch that sum
with our own resources. At present, we need to raise
approximately £2,000, before December 31 st, in order to
achieve that. We would be grateful if, through the medium
of your publication, we could appeal to solicitors through-
out the country for contributions. Whilst realising that it is
such a short time since our last appeal, which, thanks to the
goodwill of the Legal Profession was most successful, we
hope that your readers will realise the worthiness of the
cause for which we work.
A contribution of as little as £5.00 from only half the
The Editor,
Incorporated law Society Gazette,
Blackhall Place,
Dublin 7.
Dear Sirs,
10 August 1982
Your letter in the May 1982 issue from Brendan Fitz-
gerald deserves comment. He referred to the fact that a
decision in a FamilyLawcase inCorkDistrictCourt (MTT
v NT) had resulted in an invidious situation for the wife and
four children and, by some mental process, he managed to
blame divorce on that outcome.
Is it not a silly state oflegal affairs that divorce legislation
in other countries can result in hardship to people in this
jurisdiction? Rather than bewailing the state of those vic-
timised by the state of Irish Law, it remains in our power to
change the law so as to prevent a recurrence.
The mutual enforcement of maintenance and alimony
payments between Britain and Ireland has been a serious
problem over a long period of time and this case is just one
more example. The matter has arisen in the context of EEC
legislation and it appears that no bilateral arrangement is
possible, due to the fact that Britain insists on the enforce-
ment of maintenence payments arising out of divorce pro-
ceedings, while Ireland argues that this would be contrary
to ourpublic policy as a State which does not allowdivorce.
The introduction of civil divorce in this country would
solve the problem Mr Fitzgerald illustrates, together with
most ofthe other legal problems which beset those involved
in marital breakdown.
Yours faithfully,
John O'Connor (Law Student)
14 Merton Road,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
Some Old Law Firms
The Gazette of the English Law Society published, in
its edition of 23rd June 1982, an article by Mr. Henry G.
Button under the above title.
The firms mentioned by Mr. Button, include some of
very rare antiquity, including a Hitchin, Hertfordshire
firm which was in existence in 1591 and he mentions an
"even older" firm in Tonbridge, Kent.
Mr. Button has now extended his research to the
Republic of Ireland and has invited members to let him
have any available information concerning the older firms
in this country.
Any interesting or potentially useful information should
be sent to Mr Button at 7 Anderson Court, Grange Road,
Cambridge CB3 9BH •
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