The Gazette 1964/67

PACKAGE DIVORCE SERVICE A member of the Society has received an unsoli cited communication from an overseas firm of law yers, indicating the type of service available for clients seeking quick divorce. Part of the letter reads as follows : "The service that we offer starts when we meet your customers upon their arrival at the X airport, or in their lodging places; bring them over to Y, secure their lodging in tlv.s city; also, to appear before Court in order to expedite their matters. They will be returned to their lodging places. This service will be rendered in special automobiles driven by reliable and responsible chauffeurs, whose background is very well investi gated by the local Authorities. They will be ready to assist you at your entire satisfaction; that is, in regard to any additional information without extra charge to you; nor to your clientele." . . . "If our offer failed, to suit you in any respect, we would be very glad to have you inform us in order that we may, improve our fees so as to be more acceptable.'' COUNTY OF TIPPERARY AND OFFALY (BIRR DIVISION) SESSIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION At the half yearly General Meeting of the Tipperary and Offaly (Birr Division) Sessional Bar Association held on November 17th, -1965 the following two resolutions were proposed and passed : 1. With a view to restricting as far as possible claims against the Compensation Fund, the Law Society shall require all solicitors to furnish an accountant's certificate as envisaged by Section 31 of the Solicitors' Act, 1960 with their application for a practising certificate. 2. With a view to restricting as far as possible claims against the Compensation Fund, the Law Society shall employ auditors to examine the accounts of solicitors from time to time. The Honorary Secretary of the Association was instructed to bring these resolutions to the im mediate attention of the Law Society, so that action might be taken without delay. The Officers and Committee of the Association for the year 1965-66 are : President, Patrick F. C)'Connor, Roscrea; Honorary Secretary, John Carrigan, Thurles; Honorary Treasurer : Martin T. Butler, Thurles; Committee, Michael C. Black, Henry F. Hayes, Michael O'Meara, Patrick F. Treacy, John J. Nash, Donal Binchy, Francis

Murphy, Kevin Nugent, Robert Frewen, T. J. O'Reilly, N. J. O'Donnell, R. D. Kennedy and Patrick J. McCormack. DUBLIN SOLICITORS' BAR ASSOCIATION At the Annual General Meeting of the above association held on 25th October, 1965 the follow ing Officers and Council members were elected: President, Ernest J. Margetson; Vice-President, Eamonn O. Sheil; Honorary Treasurer: Patrick P. MacMahon; Honorary Secretary, Gordon A. Henderson; Honorary Auditors, P. Glynn and E. Crowley; Council members, Messrs R. Knight, E. Byrne, G. A. Williams, M. Kenny, V. Wolfe, G. Doyle, A. O hUadaigh, Miss T. King and Mr. P. Golden. CASES OF THE MONTH Solicitor: Disciplinary Committee On the 2nd September, 1965 the Disciplinary Committee of the Law Society found that a solicitor, aged seventy-three, had : (1) failed to comply with the Solicitors' Accounts Rules; (2) failed to comply with the Solicitors' Act, 1957 and the Accountant's Certificates Rules, 1946-56, in that the accounting periods delivered by him on 12th July, 1962, and 24th September, 1964, ter minated more than six months before the date of delivery of such respective certificates; and (3) had been guilty of conduct unbeffitting a solicitor in that he had : (a) -utilised for the purposes of certain clients, money held and received on behalf of other clients; (b) utilised for his own purposes, money held and received by him on behalf of other clients; (c) made, for the purpose of ob taining practising certificates, declarations which he knew, or ought to have known, to be untrue. The committee accepted that here had been no suggestion that he had been guilty of any dis honesty and stated that the breaches of Solicitors" Accounts Rules and his conduct in using clients' money for wrongful purposes could both, in the circumstances of the particular case, be regarded as primary technical offences but were, however, indicative of his unbusinesslike methods. The committee having referred to the fact that twenty- three years ago, on 7th April, 1942, the Discip linary Committee had found him guilty of a number of breaches against the Solicitors' Ac counts Rules and suspended him from practice for three years, ordered that his name be struck off the roll of solicitors of the Supreme Court. The solicitor appealed and the court received fresh evidence in the form of three witnesses.