The Gazette 1952-1955

so far. The Bill proposes the same reforms as those adopted long ago both in the United Kingdom ■ and in Northern Ireland. I understand however that the Bill is now receiving its final revisions in the Departments o f Justice and Finance, and I am glad to say that there appears to be every prospect that it will shortly be introduced. A s . members are aware, it is proposed that the stamp duties paid in the past by apprentices and by solicitors on their annual practising certificates will be no longer collected by the State, but corresponding amounts will be left available for the purposes o f the Society. It is suggested that in return the Society will under­ take a contribution to the cost o f law reporting and will undertake the responsibility o f the books so urgently required by our students. Certain important financial provisions affecting the Society and the Benchers still remain to be finally agreed. The Bill will mark a very great advance to our profession. In return we are voluntarily proposing to establish a guarantee fund. The Bill will impose on the Society even larger responsibilities than heretofore, in the education and training o f legal students. This will demand the urgent attention o f the Society. A t present the provisions for legal education in this country leave much to be desired. This is due to various causes. One o f these is the lack of suitable text books. In the past we depended here on the law texts produced in the United Kingdom. As Irish law has progressively varied from British, these books are no longer suitable. One o f our endeavours in the future must be to fill this gap. The problem however goes deeper than that. This Society has always provided Lectures in law and these in recent years have been supplemented by lectures by members o f the Council and other solicitors. In addition apprentices normally attend lectures at University College or Trinity College.' There is however an overlap between the two courses o f lectures. It would appear very desirable that the respective courses should be revised. There is probably much to be said for an arrangement whereby the University lectures should be devoted to the general principles of law whereas our lectures might be devoted to the aspects of law which more immediately relate to the practice o f solicitors. I f such a division of functions were made it would become necessary that the attendance at University lectures should be mandatory and not as at present optional. The result should be beneficial both to the Colleges and to us. One is inclined to think that in addition to the purely legal side o f the education required for our profession, the level o f general education should

be raised. Here indeed there appears to be a positive decline. The proportion o f apprentices who obtain University degrees has in recent years actually declined to a perceptible extent as compared with that o f former years. This is in marked contrast with the condition in other countries. For example, in Northern Ireland it is now compulsory that an apprentice should have his University degree before commencing his legal education. It seems to me that not only our profession but the legal profession in both its branches, and also the Universities are (or should be) deeply concerned in this question. I have already mentioned the lack of text books. It seems to me however that here in Ireland we are failing also in a deeper study of law and all it means. We have gradually been building up in this country a code o f laws particularly adapted to the requirements o f our State. This work cannot however or should not be left to the hurried work o f the legislators dealing with each immediate problem in turn. Very much requires to be done in the scientific study o f the principles o f law as they aff-ct our own form o f Society in this State. The Universities are the proper forum for such a study. I feel therefore that there is much to be done in the way o f collaboration between the professional education afforded by the Law Society and the King’ s Inns on the one hand and the universities on the other. Research and exploration should be the proper field o f the Universities, practical law that o f the professional bodies. This important question impinges on that which we have so constantly pressed, that is to say the question o f a considered provision for law reform. Little indeed in that direction has been done in this State since it achieved its independence. A vast work urgently calls for attention in the revision of the statute book, the passing o f codifying Acts, and the general bringing of the law into accordance with modern and particularly Irish ideas. In this regard our record is a very poor one indeed as compared with for example the United Kingdom, where such work was continued uninterrupted even during the war years. I feel that once we have attained the passing o f the Bill the attention o f this Society should be largely turned to the questions to which I have so briefly referred. There are none more urgent. There is one respect in which our profession has made good progress. The local Bar Associations have been active. Since our last Annual Meeting, I am glad to say that two new Associations have been formed, namely the Roscommon Bar Associa­ tion and the Midlands Bar Association. A fortnight 45