The Gazette 1977

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS TO THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY 24 November, 1977.

Members of the Council and members of the Society, you already have before you my Annual Report as your President for the year 1976/77 together with the Annual Report of the Council of the Society in addition to the individual Reports from the Chairmen of the Standing Committees, all of which are contained in the Society's Gazette for the month of October, 1977. There are however, some matters of concern to the public to which I would like to make specific reference on this occasion. In the field of Legal Aid, our Society eagerly awaits the publication of the Reports of the Tormey Committee on Criminal Legal Aid and the Pringle Committee on Civil Legal Aid. An interim solution has been worked out on Criminal Legal Aid, pending the publication of the Tormey Committee's Report and the Government's decision as to implementation of its recommendations. The Society appreciates that Civil Legal Aid is a comprehensive and fundamental matter affecting not alone the members of this Society, but more importantly the public who might hope to benefit from any such system. While the Society appreciates that the Government must have an opportunity of fully considering the Report of the Pringle Committee on Civil Legal Aid before it can take a decision on the introduction of a comprehensive system, I would earnestly appeal to the Government to give priority to consideration of the introduction of a significant measure of Civil Legal Aid in the area of Family Law. I need hardly emphasise that under Article 41 of the Constitution, special recognition is accorded to the position of the family in Irish society. In the present circumstances which obtain in this sphere as far as the law is concerned, the spirit of this Article of the Constitution is in urgent need of implementation in a very concrete way. The legal profession in this country has continued to carry the burden of providing a legal service in many cases at very considerable cost to themselves both in time and money, but with the impact of inflation and the growing number of such cases arising from the radical changes in public attitudes to family matters the profession

cannot be expected to carry this burden indefinitely in the absence of any form of Government support. I would once again like to take an opportunity of paying tribute to the work of the Free Legal Advice Centres in their many areas of activity in the field of voluntary legal aid, but particularly in the area of Family Law in which the law students with the assistance of the legal profession have filled a complete void. The Society welcomes the Government's appointment of a Committee to recommend safeguards for persons in custody and for members of An Garda Siochana. The Society has been invited to make a submission to this Committee. This task is at present in hand. I would once again like to take this opportunity of recording the appreciation of our profession for the work of An Garda Siochana which they perform in difficult circumstances frequently without an adequate degree of co-operation from the public. Crime and violence generally in Ireland has now reached an unacceptable level. Society itself must share to a considerable extent responsibility for the present unsatisfactory situation in this regard. The Government and An Garda Siochana can at best only attempt to provide short term solutions to treat the symptoms of the problem. It is society as a whole which must make a determined effort to tackle the cause of the problem. This involves everyone, but particularly the parents of the children of the nation as well as their teachers and all those concerned with the education and training of youth. The members of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland willingly accept their role in Irish society and are conscious of their responsibility in helping to preserve the essential stability upon which the future of our country depends. Finally, to you the members of the Society, could I urge continued loyal support for the Council of the Society in the many critical challenges facing it at the present time.

Bruce St. John Blake, President, Incorporated

Law Society of

Ireland.