The Gazette 1975

Annual General Meeting The President, Mr. Peter Prentice, took the Chair at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, 28th November, 1974 in the Library of Solicitors Buildings, Four Courts. The notice convening the meeting and the minutes of the ordinary general meeting held in Enniá in May, 1974 were read, and they were subsequently signed. The President then requested that the accounts and balance sheets for 1973-74 be adopted. The motion "That the accounts be adopted" was formally proposed by Mr. Gerald Hickey and seconded by Mr. Nash. .In reply to Mr. Crivon, the President stated that they had not taken any conveyance of the Blackhall Place prem- ises. Originally, the Vendors, the King's Hospital were a chartered body with perpetual succession who had no powers to convey, but this was remedied in the Charities Act 1973. In any event, they would eventually acquire squatter's rights by remaining in possession for 12 years. Mr. John Carrigan then proposed, and Mr. Joseph Dundon seconded the motion that Messrs. Cooper & Lybrand be appointed Auditors for the coming year. A meeting of the scrutineers appointed at the Ordin- ary General Meeting of the Society held in May, 1974 together with the ex-officio scrutineers was held in October, 1974 at 1 o'clock. Nominations for ordinary membership of the Council were received from 40 •candidates all of which were declared valid and the scrutineers directed that their names be placed on the ballot paper. The following candidates were duly nominated as provincial delegates in accordance with bye-law 29 (a) of the Society and were returned unopposed. Ulster — Vacant. Munster — Dermot G. O'Donovan. A meeting of the scrutineers was held on Thursday, 21st November, 1974 at ?? o'clock. The poll was con- ducted from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and the scrutiny was subsequently held. The result of the ballot was as follows:- 775 envelopes containing ballot papers were received from members. The valid poll was 773. The following candidates received the number of votes placed after their name and were elected: Mrs. Moya Quinlan 530; Patrick C. Moore 526, William A. Osborne 524, John Carrigan 515, Walter Beatty 511, Anthony Collins 511, Peter D. M. Prentice 505, Bruce St. J. Blake 505, Patrick Noonan 505, Francis J. Lanigan 489, John Maher 473, Thomas D. Shaw 468, Joseph L. Dundon 456, Brendan McGrath 451, Peter E. O'Connell 449, Patrick F. CDonnell 445, John J. Nash 439, William B. Allen .435, Robert McD. Taylor 430, Gerald Hickey 430, Laurence Cullen 426, Michael P. Houlihan 425, Maurice Curran 413, James W. O'Donovan 403, Gerard M. Doyle 400, Thomas BALLOT FOR THE COUNCIL 1974/75 REPORT OF THE SCRUTINEERS Leinster — Christopher Hogan. Connaught — Patrick J. McEllin.

V. O'Connor 389, Ralph J. Walker 387, Ernest J. Margetson 381, John B. Jermyn 377, David R. Pigot 365, William D. McEvoy 359. The foregoing candidates were returned as ordinary members of the Council for the year 1974/75. The following members also received the number of votes placed after their names:- Raymond T. Monaghan, 332; Edward P. King, 307; Richard J. Black, 293; Brian J. O'Connor, 262; Patrick J. Bergin, 250; Patrick H. O'Doherty, 247; Nathaniel Lacy, nomination with- drawn; Raymond V. H. Downey, 189; James F. Kent, 159. The President declared the result of the ballot in accordance with the Scrutineer's Report. Report of the Council The President stated that they had digressed from previous reports, and had decided to publish it in the Gazette. The cost of printing a separate Annual Report would have been £400. This year each Report had been prepared by the Chairman of the Committee in- stead of by the Secretary, as formerly. As regards his own Report, the President wished to add that he had been entertained by the Young Solicitors Society at their Autumn Seminar in Waterford, and that, for the first time, he was invited, as President, with his English and Scottish colleagues, to the Annual Dinner of the Incorporated Law Society of Northern Ireland; he had also attended the Annual General Meeting and a Council Meeting of that Society and had met Sir Robert Lowry, the Lord Chief Justice. The motion "That the Report of the Council for 1973/74 be adopted" was moved by the President and seconded by Mr. William A. Osborne. The report of each Committee was then considered separately. The adpotion of the Report of the Regist- rar 's Committee was proposed by Mr. Gerard Doyle and seconded by Mr. James F. Kent. Mr. Doyle stated that his Committee had to take decisions of serious import, but that nevertheless an opportunity was given to defaulting solicitors to seek help and put forward their difficulties. The lack of staff in smaller firms occasionally led to dire results. The Report was duly passed. The adoption of the Report of the Compensation Fund which was said to be in a healthy state, was moved by Mr. Gerard Doyle, seconded by Mr. John F. Buckley and adopted unanimously. The adoption of the Report of the Privileges Com- mittee was moved by Mr. Michael Houlihan, and seconded by Mr. John Carrigan. Mr. Houlihan stressed that in general, members did not realise the essential import of undertakings given by them, and that they would have to be reminded from time to time about this in the Gazette. Normally insufficient information was given when problems were presented. Mr. Quentin Crivon asked whether there was any prospect of Professional Indemnity Insurance being made compulsory. The Director General stated that an investigation had been undertaken, but that the insurance market was not interested in this proposal.

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