9 / 364
Council hopes that the new Handbook commends
itself to the profession, and in so far as the Law
Directory for 1964 is concerned, your Council will
welcome any suggestions
for improvement or
amendment at a later date.
SOLICITORS' BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
I attended the centenary meeting of the Solicitors'
Benevolent Association in January of this year. I was
very glad indeed to learn that the necessary money
had been forthcoming for the new Centenary
Annuity. The work of the Society is most important
and there is no reason why every member of our
profession should not be a member of the Solicitors'
Benevolent Association. The annual subscription is
still only one pound and that sum must certainly be
within the reach of all of us. I renew the appeal made
by successive Presidents of our Society to every
solicitor, young or old, to send his subscription now
to
the Secretary of the Solicitors' Benevolent
Association.
BAR ASSOCIATIONS
Although I have been in office for only five months,
I have realised more than ever how important it is
to have active and effective local Bar Associations.
Such Associations tend to increase harmony and
goodwill amongst the members and they deal very
efficiently with questions which arise from time to
time amongst their members and thereby save a
considerable number of matters being referred to
your Council for a decision. I do not want you to
think that your Council wishes to rid itself of its
responsibilities, but there are numerous cases where
members of the profession prefer to have any
differences or difficulties ruled on by a local body
rather than to have the matter referred to your
Council here in Dublin.
There are a few counties which lack a local bar
association and I think that this is most regrettable.
Any one active man with initiative could, I feel
confident, organise a local bar association and I have
no doubt that once such an association had been
formed it would meet with general approval and
would help to strengthen our profession.
LEGAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
On the zist July, 1961 your Council sent a long
memorandum on legal education and training to the
Commission on Higher Education for consideration.
In that memorandum your Council stressed three
main defects of the present system and made five
general recommendations and six specific recom–
mendations.
The commission has not yet made a report but
within the past few days your Council received a
notice that the Commissioner on Higher Education
wished to meet representatives of your Council
presumably to discuss the suggestions and recom–
mendations already referred to.
In my next report
accordingly, I will be able to tell you the result of that
interview.
LEGAL AID
Your Council has had meetings with the Depart–
ment in connection with the Criminal Justice (Legal
Aid) Act of 1962 and made it clear that it will co–
operate as far as possible in any satisfactory scheme
which may be approved. The Department suggested
that in order to assist in the introduction of the
scheme
the solicitors concerned should accept
reduced fees and a scale was submitted to your
Council. This scale was considered very fully but
was found to be unacceptable. However, in an
endeavour to meet the Department and to facilitate
all persons concerned your Council submitted their
suggestions which represent substantially less than
the fees which they consider the solicitors concerned
should be paid. They notified the Department that
they would be prepared to recommend this scale to
their members for a trial period of one year on the
definite understanding that at the end of that period
the scale would be reviewed and increased to a
realistic figure. It should be mentioned that at the
time your Council submitted their final scale the 9th
round wage increase had not taken place nor were
they aware of the increase in postage and telephone
charges which were subsequently announced. Your
Council has not yet heard from the Department since
submitting its final suggestions.
CIRCUIT COURT COSTS
Some years ago your Council raised the question of
a new scale for circuit court costs. A scale was ap–
proved by the Rules Committee and sent to the
Department of Justice. The Minister, however, felt
unable to agree to the scale submitted. With the
consent of the Rules Committee your Council then
entered into direct consultations and negotiations
with the Minister regarding the amount of the
increases to be allowed. The Minister made it clear
that he did not wish to continue the principle of
scales of costs in certain jurisdictions being linked
to the scales applicable to the High Court. Numerous
interviews and consultations with the Department
ensued and very recently your Council notified the
Department of its acceptance of the final terms which
had been provisionally agreed. The fact that final
agreement seems now to be in sight is largely due
to the work and co-operation of the Minister and his
officials and to my predecessor Mr. Lanigan, to all
5