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law fully either in offices or Court. The end result is
that most offices contain practitioners who are both
Barristers and Solicitors but in essence some tend to
specialise in Court work, and others in the type of work
which ordinarily is carried out by a solicitor in this
country. Oddly enough there is still statutory provis-
ion for the appointment of Queen's Counsel, and there
are some Queen's Counsel. Queen's Counsel are not
permitted to operate in or from an office but practice
as Senior Counsel from a Law Library. While there is
no limitation on a Solicitor or Barrister as to the range
of the work which either can carry out, it nonetheless
appears that in the larger offices those qualified as Bar-
risters tend to carry out the Court work, while those
qualified as Solicitors tend to deal with solicitor's tra-
ditional work. There are many one man practices
where the practitioner is ordinarily qualified as a Bar-
rister and as a Solicitor.
Qualifications for Admission
Ordinarily a person will be admitted both as a Bar-
rister and as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New
Zealand if he holds the LL.B. Degree of a University
in New Zealand, and has also passed or obtained
credits in the subjects prescribed by the Council of
Legal Education. New Zealand has six Universities of
which four only are Examining Bodies for admis-
sion to the legal profession. The Universities offer an
LL.B. Degree and provide teaching and conduct exam-
inations
in
23 subjects.
While
the
LL.B.
courses offered at the universities differ in detail, they
are all designed so that an LL.B. candidate can, if he
wishes, follow a Degree under which he completes
17 of the 23 subjects required for the profes-
sional examinations, namely, those carried out
under the Law Regulations of 1966. Having obtained
an LL.B. Degree, the candidate must then sit for and
pass further examinations in law and practice before
being admitted. There is an important statutory pro-
vision in the Law Practitioners' Act which prohibits
any person from commencing practice as a Solicitor on
His own account, whether in partnership or otherwise,
unless he has at least 3 years' legal experience in
the office of a Barrister or a firm of Solicitors in actice
practice or in the legal branch of a Government De-
partment.
The Society also operate a Compensation Fund un-
der Statutory Regulations, and have recently intro-
duced a Superannuation Scheme.
The Society's views on Legislation
Much interest was shown in our approach to new
legislation and the fact that we have been making pub-
lic comment on new legislation, particularly in relation
to taxation. New Zealand lawyers have not yet reached
the stage where they have made public comment, but
they have in recent times made representations to
the Government in relation to financial legislation
which is being introduced. They are not at all happy
about the inroads which taxation legislation has made
into the confidential relationship existing between a
lawyer and his client.
Recent Seminars arranged by the Society have dealt
with (1) the law affecting Trusts and Trust Property,
(2) new legislation relating to Superannuation which
appears to be an extension of the superannuation wel-
fare schemes which exist in this country; (3) Court
Structures; (4) Matrimonial Cases; and (5) Legal Aid
and Law Reform Procedures. Intended Seminars will
deal with Public Relations, Methods of fixing Costs,
Practical post Graduate Training, Partners Protection
Insurance and Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Lawyers in New Zealand volunteer for and accept
appointment to various Committees to consider legis-
lation which is about to be introduced and have also
become involved in a Consumer Rights campaign. The
Society is actively engaged in the work of the Inter-
national Bar Association, with particular reference to
Town and Country Planning.
Statistics of Earnings
Statistics relating to the Legal Profession appear to
be readily available and it is interesting to note that
self employed lawyers earn considerably more than
self employed doctors, dentists and public accountants
in 1973/74. The average income of lawyers was
£12,350 in that year and was more than £1,200 higher
than that of doctors. Seventy five per cent of Practis-
ing Certificates are held by self employed practitioners
and the Table underneath is of interest. The appro-
priate exchange rate is approximately 170 New Zea-
land dollers to £100 sterling.
Average incomes of self-employed persons.
1970-
71
1971-
72 $
1972-
73
1973-
74
Medical practitioners 12,700 14,450 16,100 18,900
Dental
"
9,400 10,750 12,200 14,300
Legal
"
11,950 14,000 17,000 21,000
Public accountants
8,600
9,800 10,950 12,200
Legal Aid and Public Relations
The profession is very concerned about its public
image and a Public Relations Committee has issued
certain pamphlets "to the public on the lines of those
^ i c h we have issued in recent times.
Their schemes of Legal Aid are far more advanced
than our sole scheme relating to Criminal Legal Aid.
The nett points of interest arising and perhaps
worthy of consideration in relation to our Society at
some future date were:
(a)
The closed Conference session which opened
up a general discussion on many matters, but was simp-
ly a Discussion Forum at which no decisions or resolut-
ions were adopted, but was in the nature of informing
the Council of the general feeling, attitude and mind of
the profession.
(b) .The powers imposed in the New Zealand Law
Society and particularly in the District Societies; the
fact that the District Societies have a statutory
standing and statutory functions to perform and
whether this could be operated in our Society on a
provincial or grouped County basis.
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