12 / 144
The Gazette ol the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
[JUNE, 1933
CENTRAL OFFICE.
It was reported to the Council that delays
are caused to members of our Profession and
their assistants, and, indeed, to the officials
themselves,
in
the Examiners' offices
in
getting Rulings and other documents from
the Central Office of the High Court to the
Examiner's Office.
Prior to the Courts of
Justice Act coming into operation, it will be
remembered that these rulings were always
kept
in
the custody of
the Examiners
themselves in their respective offices and
were
immediately
available.
Since
the
establishment of the Central Office these
rulings are now retained there, and if the
Examiner requires certain papers he has
to telephone to the Central Office and the
papers are then sent to him under the charge
of a messenger.
In connection with the reported delay, I
saw the Master of the High
Court, who
received me most kindly, and stated in
theory no delay should take place, and he
promised that he would at once investigate
the matter, and would see that, as far as
was in his power, no avoidable delay would
take place in future.
SOLICITORS' APPRENTICES'
DEBATING SOCIETY.
For the first time in the history of this
Society a Dance organised by the Solicitors
Apprentices' Debating Society was held
in this Hall on the 2nd February last. As
President of the Debating Society I was
privileged to be present, and the Dance was
honoured by the presence of
the Chief
Justice, Mr. Justice O'Byrne and members
of
the Circuit Court and District Court
benches.
It was a most enjoyable Dance
and reflected the greatest possible credit
on those members of the Committee of the
Debating Society who were responsible for
its organisation.
As President of this Society, I occupied
recently the chair at one of the Meetings
of the Debating Society, and was greatly
struck by the high quality of the debate and
the speeches made by the various members.
I should like to commend this Society to all
members
of
our Profession who
have
apprentices, and I should like to see every
apprentice becoming a member and taking
an active interest in the various debates
that take place each week.
I cannot help
thinking that our apprentices would greatly
benefit by so doing, as, by taking part in
these debates, they are preparing themselves
for the more serious work of advocates in
our Courts, and will gain that confidence
in themselves which is so necessary when
conducting their cases after being admitted
as Solicitors.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY.
The Membership of the Society to date is
747 members, an
increase over the cor–
responding period of last year of 13. While
this slight increase is satisfactory, the number
of practising Solicitors in the Irish Free
State at the present time is 1,248, so that
it will be seen that there are 499 members
of our Profession who are not members of
this Society.
I would like
to see every
member of our Profession a member of the
Incorporated Law Society. After all, the
work that is being done by this Society is
for the benefit of the whole Profession in the
Free State, and I do not think it is too much
to expect that all our fellow-practitioners
should support us in this work.
Although I have only briefly been able to
refer to a number of matters in this address,
it is right to say that a great many questions
affecting our profession have been dealt
with by the Council from time to time and
by the various Committees. The Council
are always willing to consider and decide
on any principle concerning costs, and about
which there is a difference between members
of the Profession.
Solicitors have merely
to furnish an agreed-on statement of facts
with a submission to be bound by the
decision of
the Council. These decisions
on costs, which I hope will be found useful
to
the members of our Profession, are
reported in the Society's Calendar.
I have to thank the Members of the Council
for the great assistance which they have
rendered since they honoured me by appoint–
ing me as their President. They have made
my task a pleasant and an easy one, and
I am very grateful for all the kindness that
they have shown me on all occasions.