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GAZETTE
APRIL 1977
(D) OTHER BENEFITS
The deserted wife should in the required circumstances
also be advised to apply to her Local Authority for a
waiver of rates and to her Local Health Board for details
of the current schemes that may be in operation for the
supply of free milk and footwear to her children.
Note:
It is advisable to obtain the
Summary of Social
Insurance and Assistance Services
published annually by
the Department of Social Welfare, Dublin 1, which gives
a very comprehensive outline of the benefits afforded by
the State in all cases.
RELEVANT LEGISLATION
Public Assistance Act 1939.
Social Welfare Act 1952.
Social Welfare Act 1970, Section 22.
Social Welfare Act 1973, Section 17.
Social Welfare (No. 2) Act 1974.
BOOK REVIEW
Family Law in the Republic of Ireland by Alan Joseph
Shatter (Dublin: Wolfhound Press, 1977).
The publication of any book dealing with Irish Law is a
welcome event but when the book contains a detailed
study of Family Law in the Republic of Ireland, the
occasion is very special indeed. Alan Shatter has
produced a book which will immediately replace the
collection of miscellaneous lectures and articles on Family
Law which have been the principal sources of information
to practitioners and students alike on recent developments
in an intricate area of Law.
In recent years, the general public have become more
aware of the complexities of Irish Family Law and in
particular its constraints and shortcomings.
The much discussed Government proposals on
changes in the Law on nullity are considered in detail in
the work and the draft proposed Nullity of Marriages Bill
is reprinted in full.
Mr. Shatter has also analysed the Guardianship of
Infants Act, 1964 and the controversial Family Home
Protection Act, 1976 both of which have had enormous
effect on Family Law. Indeed, the chapter on the 1976
Act will also be of interest to conveyancers (when and if
they manage to escape from the multitude of practical
problems created since the Act came into force).
The structure of the book is logical, starting with a
chapter on "The Family, Marriage and the Consti-
tution", then covering the jurisdiction of the Courts and
moving on to the Engagement and the Marriage.
Although some items, such as the detailed history of the
jurisdiction of the Courts and similar treatment of the
historical formalities of marriage, are unlikely to have day
to day relevance in practice, Mr. Shatter has recognised
that they are the foundations of our present procedures
and system. He has obviously gone to considerable
trouble to research these and other historical aspects of
the topics covered. Practitioners may be somewhat dis-
appointed with the relatively short chapter on Separation
Agreements but, on the other hand, the difficult topics of
62
recognition of foreign divorces and adoption are treated in
a thorough and most helpful manner. The inclusion by
Mr. Shatter of his personal criticisms of the present law
and his suggested reforms will appeal more to the
academic lawyer than to the practitioner and while some
might say that such criticisms and suggestions should be
incorporated in a separate report, one can understand Mr.
Shatter succumbing to the temptation of airing his views
in his book in the light of his practical experience in
dealing with Family Law matters.
The footnotes to the text are comprehensive and refer
to a large number of articles and lectures on specific
topics. Perhaps in a future edition the author might add
an appendix of a list of the books, articles, and other
authorities to which he has referred, in order to facilitate
further reading on the topics concerned.
The maze surrounding Irish Family Law has not been
altered by the publication of Mr. Shatter's book but he
has painted very clear signposts which will help all those
dealing with this subject to find their way much more
easily. For this, the legal profession and all others who are
involved with Family Law in the Republic of Ireland owe
him a considerable debt.
Michael Carrigan
When the
Society of Young Solicitors
originally
embarked on its Guidelines of Family Law it did so not
only because it was a topic in which a number of practi-
tioners expressed interest but also because it felt that this
was an area of law in which all practitioners were
becoming more and more involved and which sadly
lacked an authoritative textbook to which the inexperi-
enced practitioner might in need refer. The programme
which it undertook was designed tofill that void but in the
light of Alan Shatter's new book it would seem that to
continue with the programme is only to do inadequately
what Mr. Shatter's book does so well.
It is therefore proposed over the coming months to
consider further topics of interest. We would not only ask
members of the profession to suggest topics which might
be included in our programme but would also invite them
to contribute articles of a serious or humorous nature and
to submit notes on practice or procedure which might be
of general legal interest.
SOLICITORS' GOLFING SOCIETY
Half-Yearly Meeting at Wexford
Golf Competition (7 May 1977)
Ladies: Mrs. Joan Toolan (17) 17 points.
Men: 1, Ernest Margetson (17) 34 points; 2, Harry
Robinson (9) 32 points (on second nine).
Visitors: Len Cotton (18) 32 points.
President's Prize
The President's Prize will be at Milltown Golf Club on
Thursday, 30th June, 1977.