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COMPENSATION
FUND
COMMITTEE
Patrick F. O'Donnell
Chairman
Walter Beatty
Anthony E. Collins
Maurice R. Curran
Gerard M. Doyle
Ernest J. Margetson
Roderick D. O'Donnell
David R. Pigot
Mrs. Moya Quinlan
Thomas M. D. Shaw
4.1 The profession are obliged by statute to provide full indemnity to members of the public
who may suffer loss as a result of defalcation by any practising solicitor. The contribution for
the year under review was fixed at £20.
4.2 Payments from the fund in respect of ascertained losses and other expenses during the
year amounted to £43,160.
4.3 The book value of the Fund as at 30th April, 1975 was £412,260.
4.4 The report of the Compensation Fund for the year ended 30th April, 1975 is considered
satisfactory.
PRIVILEGES
COMMITTEE
Michael P. Houlihan,
Chairman
William B. Allen
Bruce St. J. Blake
John B. Carrigan,
Laurence Cullen
Thomas Jackson
John B. Jermyn
John Maher
Peter Murphy
Rory O'Connor
Brian Russell
Thomas M. D. Shaw
5.1 This Committee is charged under the Bye Laws with the duty of protecting the rights of
Solicitors and of any difficulties that might interfere with the practitioner in the exercise of
these rights. During the past year your Committee have met on eleven occasions on the date
of each Council meeting to consider matters circulated to them by the Secretariat as a result
of queries raised by colleagues within the preceding month.
5.2 On each occasion, urgent matters are dealt with as they arise, without appearing on the
formal agenda, but on many occasions the Committee were hampered in dealing with matters
submitted for want of complete information and supporting documentation.
5.3 Among the matters considered by the Committee were the following:
(a) An agreed scheme of co-operation between the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers' Institute,
the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers and Livestock Salesmen and the
profession, with a view to establishing a code of conduct between Auctioneers and
Solicitors to improve the working relations between both, and to eliminate the problems
that had arisen in various parts of the country where Auctioneers had been presenting
clients with initial proposals that did not incorporate all the terms that were necessary
and did not give the clients the benefit of independent legal advice.
Having considered this matter at a number of meetings, the Society circulated to the profession
an agreed code of conduct and agreement.
(b) The question of Professional Indemnity Insurance was considered at numerous meetings
by this Committee and arrangements are in hand for the continuance and improvement
of the existing scheme.
Michael P. Houlihan,
Chairman
(c) A number of colleagues submitted to the Committee demand notices issued by various
Hire Purchase Companies in the format of summonses designed to have a rather legalistic
appearance, and though submitted to date, it did" not merit action by the Society but the
situation is being kept under review.
(d) The Society considered the application by the Free Legal Aid Committee the establishment
of a full time Legal Aid Centre, and monitored the developments in this regard.
(e) Numerous complaints were received of English and Northern Ireland Solicitors practising
in the Republic. Appropriate action was taken with the Law Society in England and the
Law Society in Northern Ireland.
(f) The Society received numerous complaints of Solicitors advertising property in their own
name, this practice being particularly common in the Midlands.
(g) The Committee considered difficulties that had arisen in numerous instances where
colleagues had acted for both parties only to find that difficulties resulted. The Society has
considered on a number of occasions making a ruling that it would be unprofessional to
act for both sides except in a given circumstance. This matter was raised at the half-yearly
meeting in Westport and it was decided that a ruling would be adopted if in fact the
majority of the profession indicated their support for it.
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