The Gazette 1952-1955

negotiations and therefore fell within the general principle. (Rabin v. Mendoza & Co., 1954, 1. W.L.R. 271)- \ I f a solicitor practising in Wales claims by summary summons f o r professional services and moneys expended on behalf o f a litigant at the request o f the defendant, a solicitor practising in Ireland, must the summons allege that a signed copy o f a bill o f costs had been served on the defendant as required by the Solicitors' Acts. No, said Dixon J. The endorsement was suffic­ iently explicit to support the cause o f action alleged. (Wilson v. Casey, 86 1. L.T .R . 34). Is there a validplea ofprivilege by the Home Office, relat­ ing to the police and medical reports where anther prisoner had assat. I ted plaintijf i 1 h i prison cell, in an action f o r injuries brought by the plaintiff against the Home Office f o r negligent supervision by their servants ? Yes, said the Court o f Appeal (Singleton, Jenkins and Morris, L .JJ) affirming Devlin J., but it should be exercised with great care. While it is essential that responsible Government Departments should be entitled to claim privilege for documents the disclosure o f which would be against the public interest, and that the decision o f the responsible Minister in respect o f any particular document should be final, it is desirable in the interests o f justice that documents coming within the ambit o f privilege should be most carefully scrutinized and that the person entrusted with that task should, in regard to each document, consider whether the harm done to the public interest by disclosure is sufficient to outweigh the hampering or impeding o f a plaintiff’s case if that evidence is not made available. Per Singleton L .J. : “ It seems to me that it is desirable in a case such as this that there should be disclosure and production of documents which cannot harm the public interest, and that each individual document should be examined before a claim o f privilege is made. The desire o f every Court above all things is that every litigant should have a fair chance and appear to have a fair chance. The danger is the wide claim o f privilege without consideration o f individual documents.” Per Jenkins L .J. “ Where there is a large number o f relevant documents within the ambit o f privilege which may become really material as the case develops, there should be someone on the spot readily available—whether counsel, solicitor, or a civil servant—invested with authority to consider questions o f privilege which may arise in the course of the case, and in his discretion to waive such claim. The .question should 'be disposed of in the course o f delay without the" delay imposed by reference back to the Minister.”

Per Morris L .J. “ It seems too, that when con­ sidering the public interest, and what might be injurious to it, it is to be remembered that one facet o f the public interest is that justice should be done, and should be seen to be done.” (Ellis v. Home Office, (1953) 3. W.L.R. 105). LIBRARY ACQUISITIONS Beattie —Revenue Law, 1953 ; Belfast and Northern Ireland Directory, 1953 ; Brown —Law o f Contract, 1 953 ; Catholic Directory, 1953 ; Cambridge University Calendar, 1950/51 ; Cambridge University—Students Handbook, 1950/51 ; Cambridge University—Supplement to Law School, 1953/54; Current Law Consolidation, 1947/51 ; Current Law Monthly —from January 1953 ; Current Law Year-Book, 1 95a; Currie —■Consequential Fire loss in the United Kingdom and Fire, 1 952; Denning —The Changing Law, 1953 ; Dew —Divorce Law and Practice, 1953 ; Directory o f Directors, 1952 (Donation) ; Dobson —-The Central Criminal Court; Dublin University Calendar, 1952/53 ; Fdinburgh Uni­ versity Calendar, 1953/54; English and Empire Digest, 3rd Cumulative Supplement, 1953 ; Evershed Report on Practice and Procedure o f Supreme Court, 1953; Eversley —Law o f Domestic Relations, 6th edition, 1952 ; Faraday —Law o f Rating, 5th edition, 1951 ; Fitzgerald —The Work o f the Lands Tribunal, 1953 ; Fletcher —Landlord and Tenant, 1953 ; Gower —Law o f Contract, 1953 ; Griffith —Law o f Tort, 1953 ; Griffith and Street, Principles o f Administrative Law, 1952 ; Harris— Hints on Advocacy,! 5th edition, 1920 (donation); Hayes and Jarman —Concise Forms o f Wills, 1 8th edition, 1952; Howe —Work o f Criminal Investigation Dept., 1 952; Incorporated Law Society Calendar, 1953 and 1954; Incorporated Law Society, Record o f the Centenary o f the Charter, 1953 ; Informa­ tion Please Almanac, 1953 (Donation); International Law List, 1953 and 1954; International Yearbook and Statemen’s Who's Who, 1953 ; Irish Catholic Directory, 1 953; Jowitt —Office o f Lord Chancellor, 1933 ; Kelly —Conveyancing Draftsman, 9th edition, 1950 ; Kerr —Law o f Fraud and Mistake, 7th edition, 1952 ; Kerr —Law o f Receivers, 12th edition, 1952 ; Kime —International Law Directory, 1951 (Donation) ; Law List, 1953 ; London Post Office Directory, 1955 ; London University Calendar, 1952/53 ; Lund —Practice and Etiquette o f the Bar affecting solicitors, 1952; Mattindale Hubbell —Law Directory, 3 vols., 1952 (Donation) ; Mathew —The Department o f the Director o f Public Prosecutions, 1953 ; May —Law o f Fraudulent and Voluntary Conveyances, 3rd edition, 1908 (Dona­ tion).; Northern Ireland Statutes, 1953 ; Odgers— Construction o f Deeds and Statutes, 3rd edition, 1952; Oke —Treatise on Summary Convictions, 1850 (Dona­ tion); Oxford University Calendar, 1953 ; Phillips—