294 / 336
(c) The right to agree on costs or fees to the extent
provided by the New Zealand Statutory Regulations
which are a vast improvement on the statutory position
existing in relation to our costs; this power, coupled
with the right of the Law Society to refer any disputed.
bill to taxation.
(d) The statutory provision which prohibits a
newly qualified solicitor or barrister from commencing
practice on his own account, without first having some
years experience in an office as an assistant.
W. A. OSBORNE,
President
When Not to React to Press or Media
Conflict is always welcome by the news media: it
is claimed to stimulate reader interest. When a con-
troversy can be initiated and then fed by two or more
parties all would appear to be satisfactory from the
reader interest angle.
Solicitors, through the errors of diktoriness of an
increasing number of the profession and (more fre-
quently) through the failure of the public to appre-
ciate the legal processes which they—through the gov-
ernments they elect—have set up to protect them-
selves, are a frequent target. Every unhappy litigant
apparently feels a grievance and is willing to air it on
TV, radio or through the Press.
Should the Law Society immediately write an in-
dignant letter to the Editor of the newspaper and
thereby stimulate—and prolong—a controversy? The
Public Relations Committee thinks it should not; such
replies would be a negative reaction, and the needs of
the Society is to develop a positive image—a slow
process but one to which every member of the pro-
fession can really contribute through his handling of
clients' affairs.
The most recent airing of grievances—some of them
very "airy" indeed—was contained in the "Evening
Press" of Friday, October 17. A page was devoted al-
most entirely to the "misdeeds" of solicitors. Much of
the material was based on an interview with Mr. Brian
Bell who earlier this year created the Association for ,
Clients of the Legal Profession for which he now claims
300 supporters—surely a modest figure when the total
volume of cases and other work handled annually by
solicitors is considered. The Law Society's views ex-
pressed by the President were accorded modest space.
They were factual, non-controversial and non-headline
making.
Several of the matters mentioned in the page feature
prepared by Liem O Cunaigh could have been cleared
up very simply if they had been checked with the
Secretariat of the Incorporated Law Society. There
was, for example, an allusion to the embezzlement of
£329,000 but no reference whatever to the fact that
owing to the existence of he Compensation Fund of
the Incorporated Law Society the public does not suf-
fer in the case of such a default.
The Public Relations and Services Committee re-
viewed the publication and because of the obvious
half-truths, therefore unanswerable, decided that it de-
served no further comment.
When publication of material which is deemed to
be actionable—and some appears very close to it—you
may take it that immediate steps will be taken to halt
abuse of the valued freedom of the Press and the lib-
elling of the legal profession.
The President has made it clear to the Public Press
and the Profession that there is awareness in a very
small percentage of practitioners but where these cases
are brought to the attention of the Society the pro-
tection of the client—and the reputation of the pro-
fession—will be the primary consideration.
It is worth noting that this feature article appeared
on the same page as the excellent "Evening Press"
feature "Expert Service" which has on several occasions
expressed appreciation of the Law Society for its hand-
ling of queries which have been passed to it by the
department responsible for the feature.
Irish Capital Gains Tax
Extel Statistical Services Limited have announced
the imminent publication of a book containing Base
Day prices of quoted securities, for use in calculating
Capital Gains Tax liabilities.
Discussions have been held with the Revenue Com-
missioners, who have given their approval to the prices
contained within the book.
The book is priced £10.00, and is available from the
publishers Extel Statistical Services Limited, 37/45
Paul Street, London, EC2A 4PB, telephone no.
01-253-3400 or Extel Statistical Sendees Limited,
Arthur House, Chorlton Street, Manchester, MI 3FH,
telephone No. 061-236-5802.
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