695 / 822
must always be in readiness to hold inquests at
short notice, generally at considerable distances from
their homes, to which they must travel at their own
expense, the Council are of opinion that the time has
come when the salaries of all Coroners in Eire
should be substantially increased, and that pro–
vision be made also
for payment of salaries
to Deputy Coroners who also are either solicitors
or doctors, and strongly urge the Minister for
Local Government Board to bring in forthwith
a Bill amending Section 14
(6) of the Local
Government Act, 1898, and repealing or deleting
Section
18 of the Coroners' (Amendment) Act,
1927, and further enacting that from henceforth
salaries be payable
to
all Deputy
Coroners.
That copies of this resolution be sent to Ministers
for (i) Justice
(2) Local Government Board, (3)
Social Services, (4) Posts and Telegraphs."
Circular Letter from Department of Justice
to Coroners
THE Secretary read correspondence from Coroners,
enclosing copy of a letter which they had received
from the Department of Justice, stating that re–
presentations had been made to the Department
by the Association of Locomotive Engineers and
Firemen suggesting that at an inquest arising out
of an industrial accident in which a member of the
Union has been killed, officials of the Trade Union
should be permitted to attend the inquest and to
examine witnesses. The following resolution was
proposed, seconded, and unanimously adopted,
and it was ordered that a copy should be sent to
the Hon. Secretary of the Coroners' Association :
" That this Council view with concern the letter
addressed by the Minister for Justice to Coroners
on the subject of the representation of Trade Unions
at inquests, and request the Coroners of Ireland to
continue as in the past to confine the right of ad–
vocacy in their Courts solely to the parties and to
Barristers and Solicitors."
The matter was also referred to a Committee of
the Council to consider what action, if any, should
be taken.
Solicitor's claim for privilege
THE Secretary read correspondence received from
Mr. Gerald Y. Goldberg, Solicitor, Cork, with
reference to the recent proceedings before Judge
O'Connor in which Mr. Goldberg had been fined
for contempt of Court for refusing to answer
questions relating to certain transactions between
his client and himself. He stated that he had been
advised that no appeal against the order lay under
the Courts of Justice Act, 1936, and that the only
remedy open to him was to ask for a case stated to
the Supreme Court, with the consent of all parties,
including the Attorney General.
It was ordered
that Counsel be briefed at the expense of the Society,
to attend to protect Mr. Goldberg's interests in the
matter, and that Mr. Goldberg be advised that in
the view of the Council any questions put to him
relative to solicitor and client transactions should
not be answered'
JULY 3rd. The President in the chair : Also present:
Messrs. W. L. Duggan,
J.
J. Bolger, .Vice-
Presidents; Messrs. J. P. Tyrrell,
T$f.
]. Norman,
P. R. Boyd, T. A. O'Reilly,
J. P. Carrigan.
f. B. Hamill, D. O'Connell, J. J. Lynch, J. R.
Quirke, J. Barrett. W. S. Hayes, G. A. Overend,
Hugh O'Donnell, L. E. O'Dea," A. Cox, R. J. Nolan.
Applications under Sections 16 and 18
FOUR applications by Law Clerks to be bound as
apprentices for three years were considered on
reports from the Court of Examiners and granted
by the Council.
Three applications to the Chief Justice for ex–
emption from the Preliminary Examination were
considered.
In the case of one application, it was
decided to offer no opposition to the granting of
total exemption from the examination, and in the
case of the remaining two applications it was decided
' to offer no opposition to the granting of exemption
from Latin and one book of Euclid. The Secretary
was directed to inform the Chief Justice accordingly.
Application under Section 14 of the Defence
Forces' (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1946
ON the report of the Court of Examiners the Council
considered an application from an intending ap–
prentice that the period of his service in the Defence
Forces should be reckoned as good service under
his
indentures of apprenticeship. On a
report
from the Court of Examiners, it was decided that
two years of the applicant's service in the Defence
Forces should be reckoned as good service under
his indentures of apprenticeship subject to proof of
satisfactory military service.
Solicitors' Bill
THE Council considered a report from the Solicitors'
Bill Committee on the subject of a suggested fund
to indemnify or compensate clients for losses due
to defalcations by solicitors which had been referred
back to that Committee for reconsideration. The
report of the Committee was adopted, and it was
ordered that a special general meeting of the Society
be summoned for October and, to consider the
suggestion that the Bill should contain provision
for an indemnity or compensation fund, should the
Council deem it advisable or necessary to include
same in the Bill.
14