The Gazette 1985

GAZETTE

JULY/AUGUST 1985

Correspondence

The Editor,

Law Society Gazette,

Blackhall Place,

Dublin 7.

22 June 1985

Dear Sir,

Please permit me to comment upon the letter of Mr.

Pearse Rayel, Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Board,

published in the January/February issue of the

Gazette.

Unfortunately it has only just come to my attention.

Mr. Rayel criticises your editorial for giving the

impression that the recommendations of the Pringle

Committee on Civil Legal Aid and Advice were almost

totally ignored by the Government. Yet even a cursory

comparison of the Pringle report with the Legal Aid

Scheme drives one to the conclusion that this is indeed the

case. Perhaps the central recommendation of the

committee was:

"In a comprehensive scheme, legal aid should be

available for all types of civil proceedings. There

seems to be no logical basis on which any particular

case category could be excluded."

Yet the scheme sets out a litany of excluded case

categories.

Secondly, Pringle's recommendations on how the legal

aid service ought to be delivered were completely ignored

by the Government. The report envisaged a service

provided jointly by a panel of private practitioners and a

network of Community Law Centres. Mr. Rayel, in his

letter, concedes that the scheme administered by his

board differs from the one recommended by Pringle in

that private practitioners are excluded. But he implies

that the setting up of the board's Law Centres is an

implementation of the recommendations of the Pringle

committee.

Mr. Rayel should know that this is not true. The Pringle

Committee recommended that there be Community Law

Centres. These would be focussed on particular

communities, with local involvement in setting up and

running them. They would not be limited to legal work,

but free to participate in, for example, education

programmes on legal rights. Pringle identified this type of

activity as "quite important if they are to make progress

in identifying hidden need". A social worker was to be

employed in each centre.

None of these recommendations were implemented by

the Government. The Law Centres run by the

Government are not Community Law Centres. They have

none of the features that make Community Law Centres

"one of the most important recent developments in tha,

c ommon law world in the technique of providing legal

services to the poor".

Yours faithfully,

Eamonn Conlon,

Chairperson,

FLAC,

49 South William St.,

Dublin 2.

The Editor,

Law Society Gazette,

Blackhall Place,

Dublin 7.

i July, 1985

Dear Sir,

re: Old Practices

I would like to thank all those who responded to my

letter in the March

Gazette

including Mr. Grace in the

May

Gazette.

I am not claiming that we are the oldest law firm or even

the oldest family firm in the country but

the oldest

continuous sole practitioner family practice in one town.

Actually my great grandfather, Henry Harte Barry,

was admitted in 1854 and founded the firm of Henry

Harte Barry & Son in Kanturk, Co. Cork but I left him

out of the reckoning because he never practised in Cashel.

Incidentally, some people have suggested that an

informal group of the older law families should get

together to compare notes and perhaps publish an article

in the

Gazette

? Those in favour might let me know their

views.

Yours faithfully,

Henry C. P. Barry,

Solicitor,

Charles M. Barry & Son,

John St.,

Cashel,

Co. Tipperary.

Professional Information

(continued from p. 222)

ENGLISH AGENTS: Agency work undertaken for Irish Solicitors in England/

Wales in High Court personal injury cases and all types of County Court cases.

Also conveyancing, probate and landlord/tenant matters. Legal Aid work

undertaken including preparing and submitting the appropriate application

form(s) to the Law Society. Fearon

Co., Solicitors, 12 The Broadway, Woking,

Surrey. GU21 5AU. Telephone Woking (04862) 26272. Telex 296500.

PHOTOCOPIER FOR SALE. The Education Department of the Society has for

sale a U-Bix 200 Photocopier, not yet 3 years old; 20 copies per minute. First £600

secures. Apply to the Education Officer, Law Society, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7.

Tel. (01) 710711.

The Profession

BRIAN D. CASEY, formerly practising as Brian D. Casey & Company, Solicitors,

Thomond House, High Street, Ennis, County Clare and STEPHEN NICHOLAS,

formerly practising as S.F. Nicholas & Company, Solicitors, 1 Bank Place, Ennis,

County Clare have amalgamated their practices and are now practising in the style

of Casey Nicholas

Associates, Solicitors, Thomond House, High Street, Ennis,

County Clare. Telephone Numbers 065-29949 and 20811.

CARTAN O'MEARA

KIERAN, Solicitors, formerly of 17 Upper Leeson Street,

Dublin 4, and EUGENE F. COLLINS

SON, Solicitors, are pleased to announce

the merger of their respective practices, and as and from 2nd July, 1985, will

practice under the name of Eugene F. Collins

Son, at 61 Fitzwilliam Square,

Dublin 2. Phone: 761924-785766-789904-760704-789139-606909-761581.

Telex 33028 SUE EI.

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