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here to go into figures and percentages but it is an
established fact that a great deal of solicitors' work in
the Land Commission is carried out at a loss to the
solicitor. It was pointed out by the Council that this
situation if it continues must be detrimental to the
efficient conduct of business as solicitors will be un
able to employ staff to carry it on or to engage in it
themselves. Discussions have been held at official
level with the Land Commission for over two years
past and it has been officially conceded that the-
Society have a good case but nevertheless we have
been unable to make any satisfactory progress towards
solution. The position is complicated and worsened
by the fact that part of the costs in Land Commission
matters is paid in Land Bonds, which stand at less
than par, sometimes as low as 75% to 80% of the par
value and as a result the client must pay the difference.
This claim was submitted to the Land Commission
in May of 1956 and yet after some two and a half
years investigation and negotiation no progress has
been made except to obtain an admission that the
Society have a, good case. The Council are still deal
ing with this matter and intend to press it as hard as
they can.
Law Reporting
One matter which has exercised the attention of the
Council during the year is the delay in reporting de
cided cases. The Society has undertaken to pay to the
Incorporated Council of Law Reporting a fixed an
nual sum of £500 and is the largest single contributor
to those funds. The delay in reporting decided cases
and in bringing out the law reports seems to me to be
inexplicable. It is necessary at times to wait for as
much as two years for a report of a decided case and
I do not understand why these cases which are of
such vital importance to both branches of the pro
fession cannot be reported speedily. The Society's
representatives on the Incorporated Council of Law
Reporting have been asked to bring these matters
before it and it is hoped that there will be some
improvement in the future.
Education
You will see, beginning at page 16 of the Annual
Report the position with regard to education in the
Society, the list of the lectures and examinations
which must be taken by apprentices. It is all set out
there very fully and I do not intend to comment
upon it but I want to say this. I am satisfied in these
days that masters do not give sufficient attention to
the proper e
ducation of their apprentices in ethics
andstandards
ofconduct.ltseems to me that in many
cases apprentices are allowed to become solicitors
qualified to practise law but with very little idea of
how to behave towards the public or their colleagues.
In my view it would be far better if they knew less
law and more about ethics and I say that it is the
bounden duty of every master taking an apprentice
to instil into his apprentice a proper code of ethics
and conduct. Nobody else can do it. It is the master's
duty and I cannot emphasise too solemnly the weight
of this duty. If every master taking an apprentice
took care to see that that apprentice was taught prop
erly and received a correct ethical outlook and stan
dard of conduct towards his colleagues and the public,
the profession and its members would have a good
deal less to worry about than it has to-day.
And it is here that the local Bar Associations do so
much good to maintain the high standards and the
code of honour which are an absolute necessity to
our profession. I will not weary you with his because
by now you should know what my views are on this
subject. I will only repeat that there ought to be a
Bar Association in each district and every solicitor
in that district should be a member of it. There can
be no valid excuse whatever for failure in either of
these respects.
International Bar Association
The Society was represented at the Seventh Bien
nial Congress of the International Bar Association
which was held for a week last July at Cologne. Mr.
Halpin, Vice-President and I attended as delegates
and seven other members attended as conferees. The
Society now has a representative on the General
Council of the International Bar Association to which
I had the honour of being elected. Legal associations
from all over the free world were represented—from
Australia to Norway. In such company it was essen
tial that we should pull our weight to the full and I
want to place it on record here that Mr. Halpin and
my colleagues representing the Society at the Con
gress worked consistently and steadily for the good
name not only of the Society but also of Ireland. A
country is judged solely by the members of its delega
tion which may be unfair but is perhaps natural. My
colleagues returned from Cologne having given the
Society and the Country an enhanced reputation
among lawyers and no praise of mine can be too great
for their solid hard work and the thanks of the
Society is due to all of them in full measure. Nor can
I end this note without referring to the kindness and
help we received from His Excellency The Honour
able William Warnock, our Ambassador at Bonn.
Our sincere thanks are due to him and to his staff
for their assistance and the manner in which they
made themselves responsible for our welfare.
Finally may I express the view that the Council
and I would be anxious that country solicitors
should attend the half yearly General Meetings of this
Society. The country representations at these Meet
ings has for years past been extremely small. I appre
ciate that it may be difficult for country members to