158 / 324
•co-operative way by the Secretary and they have
now furnished us with a time-table within which
solicitors may expect to have their business with
the Land Commission to be dealt with. This time
table will be published in the GAZETTE. It is pleasant
indeed on this occasion to offer praise instead of
criticism, and we do appreciate the realistic efforts
which have been made by the Land Commission to
expedite the work and solicitors all over the country
will note with gratitude that applications for consent
to sub-division, which sometimes took up
to 4
or 5 months, are now dealt with within a fortnight.
In like manner we have made similar
requests
to the Land Registry, the Adjudication Office,
the Probate Office, the Estate Duty Office and the
Accountant General.
We have agreed, or are
agreeing with the majority of these Offices, [times
within which, when papers are lodged in proper
order, they can expect cases to be completed.
I
emphasise that it is of the essence, if delay is to be
avoided, that papers should be lodged in proper
form. If not, the delay is due to the solicitor's own
fault; but in cases, where papers are lodged in the
correct form and where the delay exceeds the time
stipulated by the respective office, I suggest that
solicitors should in such case write a letter of
complaint to the head of the particular department
and draw his attention to the delay ; and in the event
of failure to obtain satisfaction should put the facts
before the Society.
We are gratified to record that during the past
two years, Sittings of the High Court have been
held in Cork for the trial of High Court actions,
and during the past year a Sitting also took place
in Galway.
Solicitors generally may not perhaps
be aware that it is open to them to apply to have High
Court actions heard in their local Assize centres.
The machinery, it has been agreed, exists for the
purpose, and it is only necessary, if good reason
can be shown why a case should be heard outside
of Dublin, to make the necessary application to
the Court.
During the past year Mr. Plunkett and I were
privileged to represent the Society officially at the
Conference of the International Bar Association in
Oslo.
The International Bar Association is an
organisation of the organised Law Societies through
out the world, formed for the express purpose of
promoting friendly relationships between members
of the legal profession in different countries, for the
exchange of information, and in particular, to try
and establish, where possible, uniform systems of
practice and procedure. At Oslo there were represen
tatives of the Law Societies of 41 countries from
6 Continents—in fact from every civilised country
in. the world outside the Iron Curtain. It was the
first occasion upon which our Society was officially
represented at an International Bar Association
Conference and for us it was a memorable experience.
During that week we met delegates from every
country and, both officially and unofficially, received
a most cordial welcome. We found, on all sides, the
greatest interest in our Society and its work and,
not only in the Society, but also in our country.
Very many delegates expressed their wish to visit
the country, in particular our American friends,
and I am glad to say that arrangements are now on
foot to receive a representative delegation of the
American Bar Association next year.
I have no
doubt but that solicitors everywhere will extend
them a truly Irish welcome.
We also obtained a fund of information on practice
and procedure
throughout the world and
the
functions, activities and developments with which
other Law Societies are concerned.
Over and over again in Oslo it was emphasised
that the primary function of a Law Society is to
regulate its activities in the public interest and co
extensive therewith is the role of the lawyer in the
modern world.
I can understand that a member of any great
profession without full consideration might regard
it as the prime duty of his own professional body
to look after the interests of its members and might
consider that all its other functions were of secondary
importance.
Such a view, however, ignores the
fundamental concept of a profession, and the fact
that members of a profession dedicate themselves
in effect to the public service and are only secondarily
concerned with their own financial advancement
and would therefore overlook the basic truth that
nothing can be done to improve the lot of a
profession unless at the same time it be in the public
interest.
Various Societies have adopted specific pro
grammes to this end. For instance, the American
Bar Association in the year 1951 adopted 6 long
range objectives as a programme for the legal
profession. These were as follows :—
1. The preservation of representative govern
ment
through
a
programme
of public
education and understanding of the privileges
and responsibilities of citizenship.
2. The promotion and establishment within the
legal profession of organised facilities for the
furnishing of legal services to all citizens at a
cost within their means.
3. The improvement of the administration of
justice through adherence to effective standards
of judicial administration and administrative
procedure.