4 / 300
On the motion of Mr. John Maher, seconded by
re-appointed as auditors to the Society.
Mr. Peter Prentice, Messrs. Cooper Brothers & Co. were
President's Speech at Annual General Meeting, 29 November, 1973
Ladies and Gentlemen,
You have received the report of the Council for the
year ended 30 September, last, which covers part of the
term of office of my predecessor, Mr. James O'Donovan,
and most of my period of office now drawing to a
close. In two respects perhaps these periods have made
minor contributions to the long history of the Incor-
porated Law Society. James O'Donovan was the first
President from Cork City—in itself perhaps some-
thing of a miracle when we think of the importance of
Cork and the part it has taken in the national and
legal affairs of the Country—while I am the first Presi-
dent from County Mayo, I feel as gratified by the
honour which you have conferred on me as I am sure
James O'Donovan and his colleagues felt when you
elected him as the first President from the second
metropolis of the Republic. I am and always will be
most grateful to my professional colleagues for having
conferred on me the greatest honour in their giving.
Changes in Legal Practice
As I have said, you have received and no doubt
diligently read the report of the Society's work during
me year recently ended. I need not, therefore, go
through it in detail, although it does contain some
matters which call for comment. In my address at the
last general meeting in Killarney I said that the pro-
tession stands at a watershed. Events will not stand
still. The work of the practitioner changes from year to
year with legal and economic developments affecting
n
ot only ourselves but the whole community. The de-
mand for legal services increases with the increase of
he level of general education; the prosperity of the
people which raises both the standard and the cost of
iving and the complexity and kaleidoscopic changes in
our legal system. The ordinary citizen is unable to cope
with these changes and looks in the first instance to the
oiicitor as his general professional advisor to help him
m his difficulties. The nature of legal service has
anged beyond recognition during the period which
o f
S
u P
sec
* ^nce the professional lifetime of the fathers
the older members now listening to me and indeed
/ ^ m s tbe professional lives of many of us. In the past
Solicitor tended to become identified with the pro-
P
r
ty
-owning-classes many of them owners of large
anded estates tied up in settlement to keep the pro-
P
eit
.y
intact and in the family. In the country districts,
,
riI
lS the period of land agitation he was probably
e
Solicitor for either the landed proprietor or the
nant, and many a legal reputation, including if I
ay revert for a moment to legal history, the legal
m e
of Sir, then Mr. Edward Carson was made by
re
presenting the tenants in the Courts established
under the Land Act 1881. Today the profession has a
r
wider clientele drawn from all ranks of the com-
munity. The motor car, the reforms of the law, relating
landlord and tenant, planning legislation, tax law,
nou
Slng
iegi
s
i
at
i
on
and the spread of private owner-
both of agricultural and urban property have all
^ontributed to these changes. The Solicitor is required
kn
a
J °
ne
to
b
e
a Lawyer but to
have at least a general
p l e d g e of business legislation and affairs unknown
his forefathers. The business element tends to pre-
minate because in the pressures of running an office
and the diversity of legal business the Solicitor relies
to a greater extent on members of the Bar, for advice
on matters of pure law.
The Role of the Society
The Law Society must to an ever increasing extent,
participate in these changing conditions and aid its
members in adjusting themselves to the changes al-
ready upon us and those which are to come. We are a
profession governed largely by statute and statutory
regulations. Unlike the Hon. Society of King's Inns
and the professions of architecture, medicine, and en-
gineering, we are not completely autonomous. We have
a measure of autonomy in certain fields in that the
Solicitors' Act 1954-1960, which are the Statutory basis
of our profession confer a fairly wide regulation-
making power on the Council. The Council is the
governing body of the profession elected by ballot of
the members now approaching 1,500 numerically. In
my view the duty of a governing body is to govern in
the interests of the profession, not any sections of it and
of course with regard to the interests of the administra-
tion of Justice and the public. The Council represents
fairly, the various sections of the profession both city
and country, and there is in fact, a slight numerical
preponderance of country over city members. I have
sometimes heard it said by a few members, who have
not troubled to inform themselves of the facts, that the
profession is governed from Dublin. This is true per-
haps in the geographical sense that the Council meets
in Dublin once in each month. I can assure you that
at these meetings the views of country practitioners
are amply expressed and represented and may I take
this opportunity of paying a tribute to the regularity
with which country members, some of whom travel
considerable distances, attend meetings of the Council
and of the various committees which you will find in
the report.
The Societys' Functions
What are the main functions and work of our
Society? It is unique among professional organisations
in that it has an amalgamation of duties partly under
its Charters and partly under Statute, to represent and
forward the professional interests of Solicitors in the
daily conduct of practice, which may broadly, if some-
what inaccurately, call trade union functions, and at the
same time to protect the interests of the public in their
relations as clients of Solicitors which may be described
as regularity or disciplinary functions. Furthermore,
it regulates admission to apprenticeship, the education
and training of apprentices and their examinations be-
fore admission to practice. It keeps the Roll of Solicitors,
issues annual practicing certificates, receives and checks
annual Accountants' certificates lodged by Solicitors,
and administers the Compensation Fund.
Services to Members
The Society promotes a fairly wide range of services
to members and indirectly to their clients. The Com-
pany Formation Service is now running at the rate of
about 1,000 new private companies each year. The ser-
vice is conducted by professionally qualified personnel
on the Society's staff who deal not with the client
direct but with the Solicitor-member. I think it is
3