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GAZETTE
SEPTEMBER 1988
were different and recommending
the appropriate examination or test
along the lines of the aptitude test
envisaged in the E.C. Directive.
A m o n g
t he
o t h er
t o p i cs
discussed were :-
Skills Training, where the need
for increasing emphasis was
noted.
Con t i nu i ng Legal Education,
where the English delegates
reported that their mandatory
scheme was wo r k i ng well,
Aptitude Testing, where reports
on the experiments being carried
out in Dublin and Belfast were
presented and,
Joint Training w i th the Bar and
Educa t i on and T r a i n i ng for
Change.
It was foreseen that all training
courses wou ld have 'to introduce
mo d u l es on c o m p u t e rs
and
c o m p u t e r i s a t i o n; t he use of
computers w i t h in the education
and training programmes wou ld
have to be kept in view constantly.
While not addressed at the
meeting it should be mentioned
that Mr. Maurice Curran, Senior
Vice President, in an after-dinner
address to the delegates, referred
to the Society's desire to improve
the emp l oyment prospects of law
graduates and to upgrade the pre-
paration of solicitors for practice by
the proposed requirement to pos-
sess either expertise in business
methods or fluency in a continental
European language.
•
Don Binchy
Chairman,
Education Commi t t ee
SYS OFFICERS
Annual General Meeting of
Society of Young Solicitors
Friday 15th July, 1988
The following are the officers
duly elected at that Annual
General Meeting:
Chairman:
Terence McCrann
Vice-Chairman:
Katherine Delahunt
Secretary:
Colin Sainsbury
Treasurer:
James McCou rt
Committee:
Michael Quintan,
Norman Spendlove, Mary
Hayes, Jennifer Blunden,
Miriam Reynolds, Kevin
O'Donnell, Brian O'Connor,
Caroline Crowley.
The Costs Commi t t ee
Work of the Commi t t ee
The Costs Commi t t ee under the
chairmanship of Larry Cullen f r om
Wicklow, a former President of the
Society, rose f r om the ashes of
" T he Remuneration of the Pro-
fession Commi t t ee ". In fact this in
its turn was hived off from the
Court Offices and Costs Com-
mittee as it is described in the
Regulations of the Council.
The Costs Commi t t ee generally
keeps an eye on the way members
of the Society are paid for their
services. The subject of solicitors'
costs borders on the ba f f l i ng
theologies of the East. It is such a
heavily regulated area that the
profession of Legal Cost Accoun-
tants has arisen to cope w i th its
complexity.
The Commi t t ee monitors the
following areas w i th a view to
ensuring that the Society has the
ma x i mum input into all areas
affecting solicitors' costs:
a. The various Cou r t s' Rules
Committees
b. Legislation
c. R e c omme n d a t i o ns of t he
Council on costs
d. Court cases affecting costs
e. Activities of other professional
bodies wh i ch affect solicitors'
bills of costs.
Cost Drawing —
the Costs Booklet
Clearly the area of costs is a
complex one requiring a knowledge
of inter-related subjects. The Costs
Committee considered this problem
several years ago and decided to
a t t empt to put together a suitable
document on the subject of costs
wh i ch would steer a reasonable line
between a definitive annotated text
and a practical day to day guide to
the art. There were differing views
w i t h in the Commi t t ee and outside
it as to how this project should be
approached and it was not an easy
task for the various Chairmen and
Committees who have handled the
problem over the last number of
years to come up w i t h a solution
wh i ch wou ld please everybody.
However, the Guide to Professional
Remuneration has now been pro-
duced and is available to the
profession in loose leaf form, at a
cost of £15 all in, wh i ch makes it
one of the most cost effective
documen ts in any solicitor's office.
The first addition to the Booklet
is expected to issue in September
and will carry:
a. The Precedents,
b. The up-dated Supreme Court
decisions on interest on costs,
c. A step by step guide on how to
deal w i t h a motion to review in
the Circuit Court.
Only those who have purchased
the Booklet and completed the re-
g i s t r a t i on f o r ms w i ll r e c e i ve
up-dates.
The p r o f es s i on is ea r nes t ly
requested to f o rwa rd their com-
ments on the Guide in due course
and any constructive comments on
f o rmat or content will be consider-
ed by the Costs Committee.
Continuing Problems
The Commi t t ee is currently con-
sidering, along w i th the relevant
authorities, the following items:
a. Appendix W to the Superior
Court Rules,
b. An up-date to the Superior
Court Rules,
c. An increase in scheduled items
in the Circuit Court,
d. Preparation of precedent bills in
the Circuit Court routine cases,
costs of registering j udgment
mortgages, motions for judg-
ment, costs of garnishee, equit-
able execution and appoint-
ment of a receiver.
With the proposed increase in the
jurisdiction of the Circuit Court the
Commi t t ee has in hand the pub-
lication of a full set of Circuit Court
costs precedents wh i ch will also be
available in due course on floppy
disc.
The Commi t t ee can only deal
w i t h routine cases. It cannot
a t t empt to advise on complicated
costs issues. This area is currently
the preserve of the Legal Cost
Accountants who wo rk closely
w i t h and are of immense help to
the Committee.
•
ISLE OF MAN
Messrs Samuel McCleery
Registered Legal Practitioners in the
Isle of Man, of Derbyhaven House,
Derbyhaven, will be pleased to accept
instructions by their resident partner
Mr. S. McCleery from Irish Solicitors in
the formation and administration of
resident and non-resident Isle of Man
Companies.
ktoh Ofice:
London Oflco: IOM Oflco:
26, South Frederick St ,
Tel: 01-831 7761
Tel: 0624 822210
Dublin 2. Tel. 01-760780
Telex: 297100
Telex: 628285
Fax: 01 764037
Fax: 01 831 7485
Fax: 0624-823799
2 06