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Law Clerks Wages
BY
the Employment Regulation (No. 2) Order
(Law Clerks
Joint Labour Committee),
1948
(S.I. No. 374 of 1948), minimum rates of wages
and conditions of employment have been pre
sented for managing clerks, conveyancing clerks
and costs clerks. The Order came .into operation
on i zth November and may be purchased at the
Government Publications Office, 3 College Street,
Dublin, price
^d.
Barristers' Incomes
THE news, if it can be called news, that the average
income of practising barristers is lower than in
most professions conies as no surprise to members
of the " lower branch," who know the difficulties
in the way of maintaining a post-war standard of
life on the basis of scales of costs which have
increased so little in the last fifty years.
In the case
'of a number of experienced and representative
common-law practitioners who answered a question
naire put to them by the General Council of the
Bar, the average income in London was £275, and
in the provinces £212.
In the case of some of the
most successful members of the junior bar, the
Council's figures showed an average income of
£1,332 in London, and £1,385 in the provinces.
Successful Chancery barristers are said to earn an
average of £1,610 a year, and only a few fashionable
" silks " earn large fees. These figures have been
submitted in the memorandum of evidence of the
General Council of the Bar to the Evershed Com
mittee on High Court Practice and Procedure. The
fees for conferences, pleadings and interlocutory
work remain the same as they were when a man
with a thousand a year was wealthy and income tax
was half a crown in the pound, and brief fees have
not noticeably increased.
Justice is certainly not a
vendible „ commodity, but those who have
the
courage to face the long wait and hard training
before they are considered ready to administer it
deserves something better than these recent figures
show that they get. These figures also show that,
whatever may be the cause of the high cost of
litigation, it is not the enrichment of lawyers.
(The Solicitors' Journal,
England.)
Solicitors' Accounts
SOLICITORS who are interested in modern book
keeping methods will find interesting articles on the
subject in the Solicitors' Journal for the znd, gth,
and 16th October, 1948. The articles, which are
based largely on the English Solicitors' Accounts
Rules, 1945, describe a system of book-keeping
which has been designed with the object of complying
with the rule which requires solicitors to keep
accounts
showing
the
separation of solicitors'
money from clients' money at any particular time.
Emergency Powers Orders
THE Government Publications Office have issued
a list of Orders and Statutory Instruments made
under the Emergency Powers Act, 1939/45, and the
Supplies and Services (Temporary Provisions Acts),
1946 and 1947, and in force •after 3151 March, 1948.
The publication is now on sale, price i/5d.
OBITUARY
MR. FREDERICK W. GILLIGAN died at a Dublin
Nursing Home on i3th September, 1948.
Mr. Gilligan served his apprenticeship with Mr.
Wm. J. Norman of i, Dame Street, was admitted
in Easter Sittings, 1930, and practised at 32, Bach
elor's Walk, Dublin. He was lecturer in Equity
and Conveyancing for this .Society from 1942 to
1946.
MR. FREDERICK GEORGE DICKSON died at his
residence St. John's, Fahan, Co. Donegal, on
ijth
October, 1948.
Mr. Dickson served his apprenticeship with the
late Mr. David R. Babington and Mr. Robert Wm.
Babington of Londonderry, was admitted in Hilary
Sittings, 1903, and practised as senior partner in
firm of Colquohoun & Dickson at Londonderry
and Fahan, Co. Donegal.
MR. ROBERT M. KIERAN died in Dublin on I3th
September, 1948.
Mr. Kieran served his apprenticeship with the
late Mr. George P. Cussen, of 44 Kildare Street,
Dublin, was admitted in Trinity Sittings, 1908, and
practised as Cartan O'Meara & Kieran, 10 Clare
Street, Dublin.
MR. HARRY R. MAUNSELL died at his residence
Rathleigh, Killiney, Co. Dublin, on :6th October,
1948.
Mr. Maunsell served his apprenticeship with the
late Thomas T. Mecredy, jnr., of 91, Merrion Square,
was admitted in Hilary Sittings, 1902, and practised
as senior partner in T. T. Mecredy & Son, Merrion
Square, Dublin.