123 / 364
Minister for Justice and the Incorporated Council of
Law Reporting under which the annual grant to the
Council from public funds is being increased from
£500 to £4,000 in respect of law reporting. This will
enable the Council to increase the number of judg
ments which are reported in the Irish Reports and to
provide a more efficient service.
The new arrangements include a change in the
method of supplying copies of judgments required
for appeal and other purposes. Hitherto, these
judgments have been supplied on a fee basis by the
Council's reporters. They will now be provided by
the Offices of the Supreme and High Court, and the
only charge made will be the ordinary scrivenery
rates. The change will result in a substantial reduction
in the cost of copies of these judgments.
SECTION 6 CERTIFICATES
The attention of members is drawn to the pro
visions of Section 3 of the Finance Act 1965 which is
concerned with meeting the requirements of the "one
tax payer one charge" system. It enables separate
assessments under Schedules A and B to be made on
persons who are entitled to a share in property for
the whole or part of the year or who are entitled to
the whole interest in property for only part of a year.
It also removes the existing power to distrain on
property for tax due on it by a former occupier.
The Minister for Finance in his budget statement
stated
inter alia :—
"The necessity to have regard to
tax in preparing apportionment accounts will thus
be eliminated. I also propose to terminate the pro
visions under which an occupier for the time being
may be required to pay tax by a former occupier.
It will no longer be necessary, therefore, for a
purchaser to protect himself by obtaining a certificate
under Section 6 of the Finance Act, 1928".
Effect is given to this provision by section 3 (4)
and (5) of the Finance Act 1965 in the case of
property sold for valuable consideration.
U.S. LAW DIRECTORY
The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory is pub
lished in four volumes and revised annually. The
1965 edition is now available. It provides a complete
directory service for and about the legal profession.
It is made up of many sections including a geogra
phical section which presents a roster as far as
possible of the bar of each city and town in the
United States and Canada, showing years of birth
and admission to bar, college and law school educa
tion, and a list of lawyers and patent lawyers of
acknowledged standing in the principal cities of
foreign countries whose professional interests are
international in scope. The information in this
section and in the biographical section when used
together could prove most helpful not only in making
intelligent selections of associate counsel, but also
for any reason where specific information is necessary
in connection with certain lawyers. There is a section
on banks, law digests, court calendars, uniform and
model acts and reports.
The Directory is in four volumes and is very
attractively bound. Further information can be had
from Martindale-Hubbell, Inc. i, Prospect Street,
Summit, New Jersey, U.S.A.
ANCIENT DEEDS
The Chairman of the Irish Manuscripts Commis
sion has requested the Society to bring to the
attention of members the importance of ancient
documents. Before disposing of any old documents,
members might carry out an examination to ascertain
as to whether they are of historical or genealogical
value.
CASES OF THE MONTH
Solicitors' Negligence
The plaintiff, who intended to take a sub-lease of
a shop from the defendants, inquired of a represen
tative of estate agents instructed by the defendants
whether he could use it as a tobacco and con
fectionery retail shop. The estate agents' represent
ative, who had no actual authority to give any
warranties, replied that "that would be all right".
Subsequently, the plaintiff's then solicitors wrote to
the defendants' then solicitors stating that they were
instructed that the plaintiff's intended use of the shop
for the business of a retail confectionery and tobacco
business was a properly permitted user both by the
head landlord and local planning authorities and
invited the defendants' then solicitors to reply to
that assertion. The defendants' then solicitors never
replied to that letter, but two months later submitted
a draft sub-lease with a clause permitting the plaintiff
to use the premises as a retail tobacco and con
fectionery shop. There was no covenant in the sub
lease by the defendants that the plaintiff could carry
on the business of a confectionery and tobacco
retailer. By the head lease the defendants could not,
without the consent of the head landlord, use the
shop premises for any business other than that of
boot and shoe makers and dealers. The plaintiff's
then solicitors never called for or inspected the head
lease. The sub-lease having been executed, the