The Gazette 1911-12

[FEBRUARY, 1912

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.

96

recently considered this matter, and they considered the provisions of the Bill intro duced by Mr. Brady and the Bill suggested by Mr. O'Shea, and we put them side by side, and the outcome of our consideration was that we should approach the Incorporated Law Society and ask them to arrange a conference between this Association and the other Associations who are interested. We had some few amendments to suggest to the Bill of Mr. Brady in its present form. I have not had time to ascertain the views of the members generally, but, speaking for myself, I would oppose the appointment of a Com mission for this reason, that a Commission is merely appointed to shelve the question— j very often it is appointed for that purpose. Then again, we have no guarantee who would be appointed on the Commission. It might be an Englishman or a Scotchman, who would not be so competent to deal with questions concerning the grievances of the profession in Ireland. The professions concerned in these questions are those of Solicitors and the Bar. If they consider the details the result will be the formulation of a good Bill in which the various interests will be united, and you will have no difficulty in getting the Govern ment to take it up and carry it through. We are all agreed in regard to the necessity for amendment in reference to the office of Sheriff; but surely that is a matter the profession are competent to deal with. My experience in the country is that no litigation is prevented owing to prohibitive costs. On the contrary, the profession—the Solicitors' profession—are most inadequately re munerated, I never knew a case in which a. client, was prevented from going into Court for this reason. .We are all agreed as to the necessity for a Bill, and the only question is as to the method to be adopted for getting out of the present deadlock. I have much pleasure in seconding the amendment, with the altera tion that we should have a conference between the Council of the Incorporated Law Society, the Bar, the Solicitors' Sessional Bar Associations, and the Mercantile Associations. The result of that conference will be that we shall have a Bil: in which the various interests will be united, and then there will be no difficulty in getting the Government to take it up. MR. W, GROVE WHITE said ;—In 1889

we are going backward instead of forward. We all know what Royal Commissions have been in the past. They hear evidence and draw up reports, and then the whole matter is shelved, and at the end of ten years nothing has been done. We have already drafted a Bill; the profession approve of it, and it has been submitted to Chambers of Commerce all over Ireland, and they approve of it. It has been submitted also to other bodies, including the Bar. The Council of the Incorporated Law Society approve of it ; in fact, it has gone forward with the approval of everybody. But, unfortunately, it is brought forward in Parliament by a private Member, with the result that if any single Member says. " I object," without assigning any reason, he blocks that Bill. We don't require a Royal Commission to formulate procedure or amendments for us. because skilled members of the profession have them selves put forward their ideas in a measure that has been approved by all parties concerned. I think it would be better if you would say that we will take steps to have this measure accepted as a Government measure, and brought forward as such at the earliest possible opportunity. If you go in for a Commission 1 think you will defeat your own object, and instead of completing the matter at once you would be simply post poning it. I, therefore, propose as an amendment : '' That with the object of removing difficulties which exist with regard to the procedure in the Count}' Courts in Ireland, the Government be requested to adopt the County Courts (Ireland) Bill as brought in by Mr. Brady as a Government measure, and that the Council take all necessary steps to carry out this policy." MR. H. SHANNON, in seconding the amendment, said:—I did not come here intending to make an}' remarks. I fill the position of Honorary Secretary of the County Tipperary and King's County (Birr Division) Sessional Bar Association, which is an Association in -a most flourishing condition, and the strongest in the country, representing over fifty members of the profession. As Mr. Craig has stated, it is desirable that the public should know that the profession are not to be blamed in any case for what has occurred in the past. In the County Tipperary the members of the profession