The Gazette 1977

MAY-JUNE

GAZETTE

amending legislation would periodically consolidate the statutes wherever possible. The present position where the ascertainment of the law in a particular area requires reference to a principal statute and several amendments is highly unsatisfactory and makes the law unnecessarily complicated. May I conclude by thanking my colleagues on the Council and the General Membership of the Society for the support given both to me personally and to the Society in its various endeavours which it is earnestly hoped will be to the benefit not only of the Profession, but of the community at large whom we have the honour to serve. The President was received with applause at the conclusion of his address. Amendment of the Bye-Laws of the Society: The adoption of the following additional Bye-Law was proposed by Mr. Houlihan, seconded by Mr. Curran and agreed unanimously:— "38 (b) Any Past President of the Society who has ceased at any time to be a member of the Council and who notifies the Council in writing of his desire to participate in the affairs of the Council shall, so long as he remains a member of the Society, have the privilege of receiving notices and agenda papers for and attending at all meetings of the Council and to speak, but not to vote, thereat. Provided however that such privilege may be suspended and removed from any such Past President in the same manner as is provided in Bye-Laws 47 and 48 of the Society for the suspension and removal of a Member of Council." Proposed: Michael P. Houlihan; Seconded: Maurice Curran. Thanking the meeting for its acceptance of the new Bye-Law, the President explained that it was designed to facilitate the introduction of new blood to the Council while at the same time retaining at both Council and Committee meetings the experience of Past Presidents who were prepared to continue to serve the Society in an active capacity. Finance Mr. Gerald Hickey, Chairman of the Finance Committee then said: It gives me great pleasure to report to you today on the Society's Retirement Pension and associated schemes of Life Cover and Income Continuance. The Scheme is now two years in existence and notwithstanding intense competition, has already established itself as a feature of the Society's services. I am pleased to report that there has been a very satisfactory increase in the level of subscriptions received in the year ended 1st March last. Subscriptions were sixty two per cent up on the previous year — this compares with a projected increase of fifty per cent as reported at the Tralee meeting last year. The level of increase in the current year will certainly exceed the previous year, though not by the same degree since the percentage growth will obviously be more marked in the first two years than it will be subsequently. In all the circumstances, the target of £5m set for March 1978 should be exceeded. The performance of the Fund in the two years since

practice. This poses a considerable problem both for the Profession and the Public as to how the country outside the larger centres is to be served. In Dublin the development of specialisation in the sphere of Criminal Law could bring with it a greater identity between solicitors and the barristers profession leading in time to a possible type of fusion. On the civil side of Legal Aid it is hoped that the Pringle Committee on Civil Legal Aid may present its Report this year and it is earnestly hoped by the Society iat the implementation of this Report will not be long delayed especially as the Government through the person of the Attorney General, Mr. Declan Costello, S.C., has already indicated its commitment to the early introduction of a scheme of Civil Legal Aid. A better educated and advised public is increasingly conscious of its rights in the areas of marital, housing, consumer and labour law. Legislation is contemplated or already enacted to improve those rights, but the obtaining of them is frequently difficult due to the cost of the required legal process. Compared, for example, to the medical services a scheme of Civil Legal Aid, or Criminal Legal Aid for that matter, would cost a very small sum indeed and on that account should be a priority target of Government expenditure if the maintenance of the liberty of the subject and the fundamental Rights Articles of the Constitution, not to mention justice, are to be guaranteed to the citizens of this State. Having regard to the rapid development of Statutory Tribunals in this country, die general lack of knowledge on the part of the Public of their rights before such Tribunals, coupled with recent Court decisions, the Society is most concerned that from the inception of a scheme of Civil Legal Aid that such a scheme should embrace proceedings before Statutory Appeal Boards, Social Welfare and all similar types of Tribunals where the enforcement and maintenance of the rights of the citizens are concerned. The Free Legal Aid Service The Profession is particularly proud of the record it has of providing what is in effect a Free Legal Aid service on a voluntary basis without remuneration both in the Civil and Criminal field of Law and I would like to take this opportunity in particular of paying a very special tribute to the work of the Free Legal Advice Centres, staffed by Law Students and assisted by members of the Legal Profession on a totally voluntary basis. The work of the younger members of the Profession most of whom are not even qualified when giving their services entirely gratuitously to F.L.A.C. must be seen as an inspiration, not only to the Legal Profession itself, but to the Community as a whole and I feel that in fairness and justice to these young aspirants to the Legal Profession and to those members of the Profession who assist them they provide to a considerable extent an answer to much of the criticism that is frequently unfairly levelled at the Profession. Before concluding I would like to say how gratifying it has been to see the recent publication of the first programme of the Law Reform Commission. I hope that it will be possible for the Commission to pursue its programme with diligence and that its recommendations will be rapidly translated into legislation for the benefit of the community. On this topic, may I be permitted to express the hope that our legislators when enacting 76