Previous Page  331 / 822 Next Page
Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 331 / 822 Next Page
Page Background

GAZETTE

MAY 1988

Proposed Amendmen ts t o

M. I .B. I. Ag r eement

Cl a ims aga i nst Un i nsured

Drivers

Changes in the scope of the

protection provided to injured

parties under the existing M.I.B.I.

Agreement introduced in 1964 are

likely to be effective as soon as the

Department of the Environment

introduces the Provisions of the

Second E.E.C. Motor Insurance

Directive. At the moment cover

afforded by the Bureau is limited to

claims for personal injury only in

respect of Third Party risks

compulsorily insurable under the

Road Traffic Act and the classes of

person who may claim against the

vehicle owner or user under

Section 65 of the Road Traffic Act,

1961 are restricted. There is no

provision for payment for damage

to property.

The Litigation Committee of the

Law Society has prepared a list of

suggested submissions to the

Department. The directive covers

those suggested in the Com-

mittee's submissions but omits

cover for pillion passengers on

mo t or cycles and back seat

passengers in vans and commercial

vehicles.

The proposed improvements

wh i ch the gove r nment

w i ll

introduce based on the directive

are:

1. As and from 31st December

1988 victims of hit and run

accidents would be entitled as

of right to compensation for all

personal injuries from the M.I.B.

2. Property damage caused by

uninsured or stolen vehicles:

(a) As from 31st December

1992 property damage is

payable exclusive of the

first £1,088.00

(b) From 31st December 1995

exclusive of the first

£363.00 for non-insured

vehicle and £181.00 from

stolen vehicles.

(c) From 31st December 1987

minimum property damage

under compulsory motor

insurance increased from

£1,000.00 to £37,000.00

(d) From 31st December 1990

to £73,000.00.

The time limit for claiming for

personal injuries to the Bureau is

three (3) years and for property

damages one (1) year from date of

accident.

The directive also sets out the

procedure to be adopted in making

claims and for the first time the

M.I.B.I. will be given the right to

intervene in cases where the

Mandate has not been signed and

secure copies of pleadings lodged

in Court in relation to claims for

compensation against drivers of

stolen or uninsured vehicles.

The directive is welcomed by the

profession as providing a more

equitable basis of redress for

innocent parties who have suffered

loss as a result of the negligence of

uninsured drivers.

JOHN P. WARD

Law Society Litigation Committee.

Ad j ud i ca t i on of

S t amp Dut ies

The following is an updated version

of a practice note, first published in

1981. The text has been revised by

Brian Bohan, Solicitor, Chairman of

the Society's Taxation Committee.

Adjudication is a very important

constituent of the stamp duty code.

It is essential for the proper

stamping of certain instruments; it

is a necessary prerequisite for an

appeal against an assessment of

the

du ty

and,

finally,

it

authenticates the correctness of

the stamp. The fact that in recent

years

over

f i f ty

t housand

instruments are adjudicated upon

annually reflects that importance.

The necessity for and the volume

of adjudication demand that, as far

as possible, there is no avoidable

delay in the processing, assessing

and stamping of instruments

lodged for that purpose. This article

is intended as an aid to the

attainment of that objective.

The Stamp Act, 1891, contains

t wo sections only relating to

adjudication, dealing respectively

w i th the assessment of duty

(Section 12) and with appeals (Sec-

tion 13). For our present purposes

we are concerhed solely with the

first two subsections of section 12

which indicate the purposes of and

the mechanics of adjudication.

"K i ng 's Inns:

A Dubl in Perspect ive"

Exhibi t ion

To mark the Dublin Millennium, the Hon.

Society of King's Inns wi ll mount an

exhibition throughout the month of June,

1988. The Exhibition wi ll be held in

King's Inns Library, Henrietta Street,

Dublin 1, and wi ll be open to the public

at the fol lowing times:-

Mondays:

2.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Tuesdays to Fridays:

11.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

95