The Gazette 1975

as every lawyer knows, this can result in considerable upsets in the day to day handling of clients' affairs. Some foreign practitioners overcome this problem by ensuring that at least the most important cases are handled in collaboration with another member of the firm. Others just work longer hours. The nature of a foreign law practice requires various systems of checks and controls on inflow of clients to avoid conflicts of interest. It will be readily understood that for example a large and reputable American or British firm based in Paris is likely (from time to time) to receive instructions from both parties to a contract or a litigation suit. In addition, internal conferences, practice notes, precedents, memos and reports are regularly used to ensure that lawyers are briefed on important aspects °f existing or proposed changes in French law and the laws of their own country. The fact that most clients are non resident has induced many foreign lawyers to adopt the Avocats practice of obtaining security for costs at instruc- tions stage and to furnish interim bills throughout the conduct of a case. These measures, as much as the burden of high overheads in running a foreign Practice, necessitate efficient accounting, billing and time recording methods. There is no doubt that foreign law practice in France is likely to increase in the foreseeable future. As a result, interesting initiatives may be expected to taken in relations affecting foreign lawyers and their French colleagues. It may well be that full Partnership between French and foreign lawyers may ultimately be necessary though at the moment the idea would be offensive to many. Nonetheless, legal Practice at international level has ceased to be a twentieth century phenomenon and the foreign lawyer has become recognised as indispensible in the administration of the legal affairs of clients in different countries. Correspondence Collis & Ward, Solicitors, 1 Lower Merrion Street, Dublin 2. 7th April, 1975. J- J- Ivers, Esq., incorporated Law Society. Re Understamped Correspondence D ear Mr. Ivers, it has just come to my knowledge that a firm of solicitors refused to accept delivery of a letter because it was under-stamped. The letter, in fact, con- f i n e d a document with a time limit. There was con- querable delay before it went back to the sender. Fortunately for all concerned the time was, in fact, l n 8 extended. it does occur to me that it is very "unwise" for a solicitor to refuse to accept a letter because it is under- tamped, because he might thereby prejudice the

interests of his client and find himself in a very awkward position. I recently accepted delivery of a postal packet and paid 64p excess postage (which my professional col- league immediately refunded). I would suggest that a note in the Law Society Gazette stressing the desirability of solicitors accepting letters and paying excess postage, rather than run the risk of possibly prejudicing a client, would be desirable. Yours truly, R. Morton Wilson. Dail Debate DAIL EIREANN—19 MARCH, 1975 LAND BOND BILL 1975 (Second Stage) Mr. T. Fitzpatrick (Minister for Lands):— It would appear from the figures produced by Deputy Lalor today that the Land Commission, when paying in bonds, actually pay more than the market price because Deputy Lalor had figures which showed —indeed, correctly—that the price per acre in land bonds is, percentagewise, quite a bit more than the price per acre in cash. When the appeal tribunal are adjudicating on price they do bear in mind the fact that payment is being made in land bonds and these bonds are at a discount. The bonds have been criticised on a number of grounds. It was stated that there is no redemption date for land bonds and it is in the nature of a lottery as to whether one ever gets paid at par. That is not so. The Land Bond Act, 1934, provided that the Minister for Finance might redeem bonds on the expiration of 30 years from the date of the passing of the Act, making 23rd March, 1964, the date on which land bonds could be redeemed. In 1957, however, a Fianna Fáil Minister for Finance amended the 1934 Act and extended the period by providing that the optional date for redemption would be 50 years from 1934, thereby providing that land bonds could not be redeemed before 1984. Appointments Mr. Alfred J. O'Dwyer, B.A., Barrister-at-Law, formerly Deputy Registrar, hs been appointed Registrar of Titles in the Land Registry and Registrar of Deeds in the Registry of Deeds, as from 28th April, 1975, when Mr. Desmond McAllister retired. Mr. Peter D. M. Prentice, senior partner of Messrs. Matheson, Ormsby and Prentice, Dublin, and former President of the Society, has been appointed a Commissioner of Charitable Dona- tions and Bequests, in succession to the late Mr. John Sides.