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GAZETTE

JULY/AUGUST 1988

gives evidence of his motor vehicle

colliding with animals straying on

the highway and is able to identify

the owner of the animals, then

there is a

prima facie

case to be

answered by the landowner to

rebut

t he

p r esump t i on

of

negligence on his part. This burden

on the landowner is, of course, not

one of strict liability, but it would

be necessary for him to prove that

he had exercised reasonable care,

maintained his fences in a stock-

proof condition and taken all

reasonable steps to ensure that his

stock do not stray on to the public

highway. Justice Brennan would

say that, in the above example, the

burden should shift from the plain-

tiff because of the impossibility in

many situations, of the plaintiff

ascertaining the condition of the

l a n d own e r 's

f ences,

wh i ch

knowledge is peculiar to the lan-

downer.

Other District Justices hold that

it is necessary in every case for the

plaintiff to prove that the lan-

downer's fences were defective, or

in some other way that the lan-

downer had not taken reasonable

care to ensure that his stock did

not cause damage by straying on

the public road.

Difficulties in interpretation

there may be, but it would be a

foolish and inadequately prepared

plaintiff who would come to Court

without having made at least some

efforts to ascertain the location of

defendant's lands, and having

some evidence in Court as to the

condition of the fences, should it

be necessary to rebut the defen-

dant's evidence.

Justice Brennan, in a decision in

the recent District Court case of

Frank McCaffrey -v- Michael Lun-

dy,

has held that a landowner, in

order to take reasonable precau-

tions, should not only bolt the gate

on to lands where stock are held,

but should also secure the gate

with a lock, particularly if the lands

are not in the immediate vicinity of

defendant's house.

Note: Copies of Justice Brennan's

written judgment may be obtained

from the Law Society Library.

Ir ish Sol ici tors in

London Bar

Associat ion

On 30 April, 1988, the President

and the Director General attended

an inaugural reception of the Irish

So l i c i t o rs

in

London

Bar

Ass.ociation at the offices of the

Law Society.

On that date, "Isilba" was born.

Approximately 150 Irish lawyers

in London attended the reception

which was kindly sponsored by

Allied Irish Banks pic.

It was immediately apparent

that there are great openings for

Irish

so l i c i t o rs

in

London.

Commencing salaries in excess of

what would be on offer in Ireland

were available. However, it was

stressed to the delegates that

accommodation is very expensive

and as a rule of thumb one could

deduct £5,000 from the London

salary to arrive at an Irish

equivalent.

The great interest of the lawyers

was to see whether reciprocity

could be obtained.

The President detailed the

p r ob l ems arising out of t he

compulsory Irish examinations and

pointed out that the entire matter

was to be considered at the

Education Conference to be held in

Kinsale commencing on 26 May.

The lawyers present laid great

stress on t he impo r t ance of

reciprocity which would enable

them to qualify on a much easier

basis that at present exists. At the

moment they have to start from the

bottom and get no credit for work

or experience which they may have

at the date of the commencement

of their employment.

It was agreed t hat

t he

Association in London would keep

in touch wi th Blackhall Place and

vice versa to the mutual advantage

of all parties.

Cliona M. O'Tuama is the

President of the Association and

she attended the half yearly

Conference of the Society in Cork,

in May, and addressed t he

delegates there.

The Medico-

Legal Society of

Ireland

The Annual General Meeting of the

Medico-Legal Society of Ireland

took place in the Boardroom of the

City of Dublin Skin and Cancer

Hospital, Hume Street, Dublin 2, on

11th May 1988, by kind permission.

The following Council was elected

for 1988-1989

Patron:

Professor P.D.J. Holland

President:

District Justice Gillian

Hussey

Immediate

Past President:

Dr.

Declan Gilsenan FRCPath

Vice President:

Leslie Kearon,

Solicitor.

Hon.Secretary:

Mary MacMurrough

Murphy, Barrister at Law.

Hon.Treasurer:

Nora Gallagher,

Solicitor.

Hon.Auditor:

Dr. Sheila Willis Ph.D.

Legal:

District Justice Cassidy, Raymond

Downey, Solicitor, Brendan Garvan,

Solicitor, Denis Greene, Solicitor,

Eamonn G. Hall, Solicitor, Carmel

Killeen, Solicitor, Thelma King,

Solicitor, Paula Scully, Solicitor,

John Schutte, Solicitor.

Medical

Dr. Desmond McGrath, Professor P.

Meenan, Dr. Robert Towers, Dr.

Liam Daly, Dr. Jack Harbison, Dr.

Sarah Rogers, Dr. Seamus Ryan, Dr.

Anne Clancy, Dr. Donal MacSorley.

Mary MacMurrough Murphy

Hon. Secretary.

INDEPENDENT CONSTRUCTION

ADVICE FOR THE

LEGAL PROFESSION

- Evidence in contractual disputes

- Insurance claims or

reinstatement valuations

- developers feasibility and cash

flow forecasting

Contact: Tom Evans A.R.I.C.S.

AUSTIN REDDY& COMPANY

QUANTITY SURVEYORS

30 Morehampton Road, Dublin 4.

Telephone: (01) 683479 689633

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