232 / 266
expenses and subsistence at the rate of 15 /- per day
under the Bankruptcy Rules. A Committee of the
Council, which considered the matter reported that
the relevant provision seems to be item 93 o f the
Schedule of Costs to the General Order in Bank
ruptcy of 1872. In other proceedings outside the
Bankruptcy Court the position is regulated by
Order 65, Rule 65 (11) under which a professional
witness is entitled to be paid a fee per day not
exceeding 5 guineas, to include board and lodging
but not travelling expenses. The Taxing Master
may increase the above allowances on special grounds.
Two questions arose—
{a)
whether the judge was
right in holding that member was not an expert
witness ; (
b
) whether the Society should try to have
the Bankruptcy scale of costs amended. In the
Committee’s opinion it seemed that the judge was
probably right in holding under the existing rules
that member was not an expert witness but the
Committee recommended that the Society’s represen
tatives on the Superior Courts Rules Committee
should be asked to propose to the Committee that
the rules of the High Court both in regard to
bankruptcy and all other business in the High Court
should be amended so that a solicitor giving
evidence in his professional capacity will be entitled
to expenses on an adequate scale. The present
scale in the High Court (but not in bankruptcy) is
5 guineas per day and the Committee thought that a
solicitor should be entitled to a minimum fee o f 7
guineas per day in addition to travelling and sub
sistence expenses. The Committee saw no reason
why the witnesses’ expenses allowed on the bank
ruptcy side should be on a different scale from other
business in the High Court.
Costs o f judgments by default in the High
Court.
A
small
sub-Committee of the Council was
appointed to draw up proposals for a new scale of
costs bearing in mind that since the adoption of
the new Circuit Court Rules the professional costs
of judgment by default in the High Court are lower
than the costs for the same business in the Circuit
Court.
Ordinary General Meetings, 1955.
1 2TH May and 24th November were appointed as
the dates for the Ordinary General Meetings of the
Society in 1955.
Final date for receipt o f nominations for the
Council, 1955/56.
T
he
Council appointed 17th October 1955 as the
final date for receipt o f nominations for the election
of the Council for 1955/56.
Jo int Committee with the Bar Council.
M
essrs
. D
esmond
C
ollins
,
James J. O’Connor, and
George G. Overend were appointed as the Society’s
nominees on the Joint Committee.
23
rd
D
ecember
: The President in the Chair. Also
present: Messrs. Desmond J. Mayne and John J.
Sheil, Vice-Presidents; James J. O’Connor, John
R. Plalpin, John Maher, Sean O hUadhaigh, Derrick
M. Martin, Patrick R. Boyd, Ralph J. Walker,
George G. Overend, John J. Nash, Henry St. J.
Blacke, Terence de Vere White, Francis J. Lanigan,
Dermot P. Shaw, Desmond J. Collins, Arthur Cox,
Patrick F. O ’Reilly, Francis X. Burke, William J.
Norman, George A. Nolan.
The following was among the business trans
acted :—
Solicitors Act, 19 5 4 .
T
he
Secretary reported that he had learned that
the Solicitors Bill, 1954 had been signed by the
President of Ireland on 22nd December.
Regulations.
T
he
Council made the Solicitors Act, 1954 (Fees)
Regulations, 1954 prescribing the fees to lie paid
by solicitors on taking out practising certificates and
the Solicitors Act, 1954 (Apprentices’ Fees) Regula
tions, 1954 prescribing the fees to be paid by appren
tices and intending apprentices, the last mentioned
regulations to be submitted to the Chief Justice for
his concurrence.
SOLICITORS ACT, 1954 (FEES)
REGULATIONS, 1954 .
T
he
above regulations were made by the Council
with effect from the 23rd December, 1954 prescribing
the following fees payable to the Society.
1. On application for a practising certificate by a
solicitor who practises or carries on his business
in the City of Dublin or within three miles
therefrom,
£
6.
2. On application for a practising certificate by a
solicitor who does not practise or carry on his
business in the City o f Dublin or within three
miles therefrom, £3.
3. On application under section 21 of the Act
for a copy of an entry in File A or File B.
£1.
54