The Gazette 1910-11

DECEMBER, 1910]

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.

173

distance from London, he is disposed to treat all Appeals impartially, irrespective of the nationality of the Counsel who argue them. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, (Signed), H. P. ST. JOHN. W. G. Wakely, Esq., Secretary, Incorporated Law Society of Ireland. MY DEAR SIR.—I am directed by the Council of this Society to send you enclosed copies of letter from me to Mr. St. John, Taxing Officer of the House of Lords, and of his reply thereto, and to request that you will bring same before the next meeting of the General Council of the Bar of Ireland, with a view to seeing if the Bar Council would modify its resolution of the 9th June, 1910. I remain, Faithfully yours, (Signed), W. G. WAKELY, Secretary. Henry Hanna, Esq., Hon. Secretary, General Council of the Bar of Ireland, 54 Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Dublin, 7th Nov., 1910. DEAR MR. WAKELY.—Referring to your letter to me of the 28th July, 1910, the Gene'ral Council of the Bar of Ireland have again considered carefully the matter of fees on the House of Lords Appeals, and they can see no reason for altering their views as already expressed to you. Yours faithfully, (Signed), HENRY HANNA, Hon. Sec., Council of the Bar of Ireland. W. G. Wakely, Esq., Solicitors' Bull dings, Four Courts Incorporated Law Society of Ireland, Solicitors' Buildings, Dublin, 28th July, 1910. Law Library, Four Courts,

whether the terms of the resolution of the Bar Council will in futare be acted upon in party and. party taxations, and the fe°s mentioned therein allowed to the party who has paid same and who has been awarded his costs of the Appeal. I am, Dear Sir, Yours obediently, . (Signed), W. G. WAKELY, Secretary. H. P. St. John, Esq , Taxing Officer, House of Lords, London. Judicial Office, July, 1910. SIR.—Your letter of June 30, on the subject of brief fees to Irish Counsel, has been referred to the Clerk of the Parliaments for consideration. The practice in taxing Bills of Costs relating to Appeals in this House has been to fix the amounts to be allowed for brief fees by comparing the Appeal with other Appeals of somewhat similar importance and difficulty, but no minimum fee has ever been fixed, nor has any difference been made between cases argued by Irish Counsel and those Irish Appeals in which both Counsel are Englishmen. The Clerk of the Parliaments quite under stands that an Irish Counsel may not think it worth his while to come to London to conduct an Appeal to the House of Lords unless he can be sure of getting a remunera tive fee, and that to some extent his position, as regards these Appeals, compares un favourably with that of the English Counsel who is on the spot and can undertake an Appeal to this House without any very great interference with his ordinary work ; but in his opinion it is not desirable to lay down any hard and fast rule as to the amount of fees to be allowed on taxation. He prefers to adhere to the established rule of considering each case upon its merits, and except that in view of the resolution of the Council of the Irish Bar he may feel justified in being influenced to a greater extent in favour of the Counsel who are handicapped by their House of Lords,