Law Society of Ireland
Encyclopedia
The Law Society of Ireland (in Irish: Dlí-Chumann na hÉireann) is the educational, representative and regulatory body of the solicitors' profession in the Republic of Ireland
. As of 2011, the Law Society
had over twelve thousand members, all of whom are solicitors.
The professions of attorney and solicitor were fused under the Supreme Court of Judicature (Ireland) Act, 1877. As a consequence, the Law Society was granted a supplemental charter, again by Queen Victoria on 14 December 1888 under which the Law Society was styled the "Incorporated Law Society of Ireland".
The current statutory basis for the Law Society is set out in the Solicitors Acts 1954 - 2002. In 1994, the Law Society’s name was changed once more, this time the word “Incorporated” (or in Irish: “Corpraithe”) being dropped from its title.
Its building in Dublin's Blackhall Place dates from 1773, and formerly housed the Blue Coat School.
.
In a lecture given to students in Cork, the Master of the High Court Edmund Honohan SC advocated independent regulation of the profession saying that no spinning by the Society could disguise the systemic failure of self-regulation. He said most solicitors must now realise they had been let down, not just by a few rogue negligent solicitors, but by the Law Society itself.
A website launched in February 2006 by the Victims of the Legal Profession, www.Rate-Your-Solicitor.com http://www.rate-your-solicitor.com has become an increasingly popular place for people to vent their frustrations with solicitors.
The Society has investigated a number of solicitors whose actions have damaged both their clients and the reputation of the profession. The most high-profile cases were those of Michael Lynn and Thomas Byrne, who were both struck off by the President of the High Court following investigation by the Society.
The two Dublin solicitors, who were fined €2 million and €1 million respectively, may have cost financial institutions more than €100 million. The Law Society’s director general, Ken Murphy, has described as “incomprehensible” the length of time it has taken the Garda
to invstigate complaints against the two.
The Law Society’s compensation fund was almost halved in value because of the number of claims against solicitors and the Law Society’s President John D Shaw said "I’d have to concede that the profession has suffered significant professional damage, but the vast majority of solicitors do their best, and I think they have been very let down by the few".
The Law Society had to pay the €100,000 costs of a Supreme Court appeal it brought against two Dublin solicitors who admitted operating secret accounts to evade tax in May 2009.
Michael Murray, the state solicitor for Limerick City and brother of the former Chief Justice, said there was "concern within certain official circles that a tiny minority of solicitors are harvesting information on operational matters and passing them on to the criminal fraternity and effectively acting as criminal intelligence officers for criminal gangs,"
The Law Society said solicitors who fail to pay over to the Revenue Commissioners stamp duty that they have received from clients "will be treated very severely". On over 155 occasions in the first five months of 2009 the Law Society had to step in and compensate the Revenue and admitted "the unravelling of the building boom means we are likely to see quite a few more cases" which the Society takes "very seriously".
The failure by the legal profession to implement proposals for electronic property conveyancing made possible tens of millions of euro in mortgage fraud and one unnamed executive at a specialist lender said that "because of this joke of Law Society self-regulation, conveyancing costs will now increase and hurt consumers".
In December 2009, the Law Society had to prop up The Solicitors Mutual Defence Fund, which provides the majority of solicitors with insurance cover against negilence claims.
In March 2011 the National Competitiveness Council said the legal profession in Ireland and the services it provides have come to be seen as overpriced, unaccountable and archaic. However, change is on the way, following the commitment by Ireland under the EU/IMF Memorandum of Understanding to no longer to allow the legal profession to run its own affairs.
Two months later it was revealed that the Solicitors’ Mutual Defence Fund, which is independent of the Law Society, was effectively insolvent after it suffered financial losses because of the ‘"extremely high level of claims arising from the collapse of the property market and the collapse of a Bond, which wiped out a substantial portion of the Fund's reserves". In June 2011 the members of the Law Society voted in a postal ballot to pay for a €16 million bail-out of the Fund to enable its orderly wind-down, with all claims being paid in full.
The governing body of the Law Society is its Council. It comprises both elected and nominated members, all of whom are solicitors. Over the years the Council has established a range of Committees to which it delegates certain of its statutory functions.
The Council may comprise not more than forty-eight persons. Of its membership, between 21 and 31 must be elected from among the Law Society’s members. A delegate from each of the four provinces of Ireland must also be chosen. Up to five extraordinary members may be appointed from each of the Councils of the Southern Law Association and the Law Society of Northern Ireland
while three may be appointed from the Council of the Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association.
As of 2009, the Law Society’s Council comprised the maximum permitted (i.e. forty-eight members). Each year the Council selects one of its number to be the President of the Law Society. The term of office for the President of the Law Society of Ireland runs from early November to early November of the following year.
List of Presidents since 1842
List of Auditors of the Solicitors' Apprentices Debating Society since 1884
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. As of 2011, the Law Society
Law society
A Law Society in current and former Commonwealth jurisdictions was historically an association of solicitors with a regulatory role that included the right to supervise the training, qualifications and conduct of lawyers/solicitors...
had over twelve thousand members, all of whom are solicitors.
Establishment
The Law Society was formally incorporated by royal charter obtained from Queen Victoria on 5 April 1852, under the name of “the Incorporated Society of Attorneys and Solicitors of Ireland”. There were several precursors to the Law Society itself: In 1774, the “Society of Attorneys” was established while in 1791, “The Law Club of Ireland”, a society for solicitors about which little is now known, was founded. Later, in 1830 “The Law Society of Ireland” was established, restyling itself the “Society of Attorneys and Solicitors” in 1841. It was to be the immediate predecessor to the present day Law Society.The professions of attorney and solicitor were fused under the Supreme Court of Judicature (Ireland) Act, 1877. As a consequence, the Law Society was granted a supplemental charter, again by Queen Victoria on 14 December 1888 under which the Law Society was styled the "Incorporated Law Society of Ireland".
The current statutory basis for the Law Society is set out in the Solicitors Acts 1954 - 2002. In 1994, the Law Society’s name was changed once more, this time the word “Incorporated” (or in Irish: “Corpraithe”) being dropped from its title.
Its building in Dublin's Blackhall Place dates from 1773, and formerly housed the Blue Coat School.
Recent Developments
A special committee of the Law Society said it was utterly appalled at reports that some solicitors have double-charged for work done for victims of institutional abuseInstitutional abuse
Institutional abuse can typically occur in a care home, nursing home, acute hospital or in-patient setting and can be any of the following:Institutional abuse also refers to child abuse in institutions where children were placed for their education, welfare, rehabilitation, or even protection...
.
In a lecture given to students in Cork, the Master of the High Court Edmund Honohan SC advocated independent regulation of the profession saying that no spinning by the Society could disguise the systemic failure of self-regulation. He said most solicitors must now realise they had been let down, not just by a few rogue negligent solicitors, but by the Law Society itself.
A website launched in February 2006 by the Victims of the Legal Profession, www.Rate-Your-Solicitor.com http://www.rate-your-solicitor.com has become an increasingly popular place for people to vent their frustrations with solicitors.
The two Dublin solicitors, who were fined €2 million and €1 million respectively, may have cost financial institutions more than €100 million. The Law Society’s director general, Ken Murphy, has described as “incomprehensible” the length of time it has taken the Garda
Garda
Garda may refer to:* An Garda Síochána, the national police of the Republic of Ireland* Lake Garda, a lake in northern Italy.* Garda , a commune on the shores of the Italian Lake Garda in the province of Verona....
to invstigate complaints against the two.
The Law Society’s compensation fund was almost halved in value because of the number of claims against solicitors and the Law Society’s President John D Shaw said "I’d have to concede that the profession has suffered significant professional damage, but the vast majority of solicitors do their best, and I think they have been very let down by the few".
The Law Society had to pay the €100,000 costs of a Supreme Court appeal it brought against two Dublin solicitors who admitted operating secret accounts to evade tax in May 2009.
Michael Murray, the state solicitor for Limerick City and brother of the former Chief Justice, said there was "concern within certain official circles that a tiny minority of solicitors are harvesting information on operational matters and passing them on to the criminal fraternity and effectively acting as criminal intelligence officers for criminal gangs,"
The Law Society said solicitors who fail to pay over to the Revenue Commissioners stamp duty that they have received from clients "will be treated very severely". On over 155 occasions in the first five months of 2009 the Law Society had to step in and compensate the Revenue and admitted "the unravelling of the building boom means we are likely to see quite a few more cases" which the Society takes "very seriously".
The failure by the legal profession to implement proposals for electronic property conveyancing made possible tens of millions of euro in mortgage fraud and one unnamed executive at a specialist lender said that "because of this joke of Law Society self-regulation, conveyancing costs will now increase and hurt consumers".
In December 2009, the Law Society had to prop up The Solicitors Mutual Defence Fund, which provides the majority of solicitors with insurance cover against negilence claims.
In March 2011 the National Competitiveness Council said the legal profession in Ireland and the services it provides have come to be seen as overpriced, unaccountable and archaic. However, change is on the way, following the commitment by Ireland under the EU/IMF Memorandum of Understanding to no longer to allow the legal profession to run its own affairs.
Two months later it was revealed that the Solicitors’ Mutual Defence Fund, which is independent of the Law Society, was effectively insolvent after it suffered financial losses because of the ‘"extremely high level of claims arising from the collapse of the property market and the collapse of a Bond, which wiped out a substantial portion of the Fund's reserves". In June 2011 the members of the Law Society voted in a postal ballot to pay for a €16 million bail-out of the Fund to enable its orderly wind-down, with all claims being paid in full.
Structure
The Council may comprise not more than forty-eight persons. Of its membership, between 21 and 31 must be elected from among the Law Society’s members. A delegate from each of the four provinces of Ireland must also be chosen. Up to five extraordinary members may be appointed from each of the Councils of the Southern Law Association and the Law Society of Northern Ireland
Law Society of Northern Ireland
'The is a professional body established by Royal Charter granted on 10 July 1922 and whose powers and duties are to regulate the solicitors' profession in Northern Ireland with the aim of protecting the public....
while three may be appointed from the Council of the Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association.
As of 2009, the Law Society’s Council comprised the maximum permitted (i.e. forty-eight members). Each year the Council selects one of its number to be the President of the Law Society. The term of office for the President of the Law Society of Ireland runs from early November to early November of the following year.
List of Presidents since 1842
- 1842-1848 Josias Dunn
- 1848-1860 William Goddard
- 1860-1876 Sir Richard J. T. Orpen
- 1876 Edward Reeves
- 1876/77 William Roche
- 1877/78 Sir William Findlater
- 1878/79 William Read
- 1879/80 Henry A. Dillon
- 1880/81 John H. Nunn
- 1881/82 Henry J. P. West
- 1882/83 Henrt T. Dix
- 1883/84 William D'Alton
- 1884/85 John Galloway
- 1885/86 Henry L. Keily
- 1886/87 Sir Patrick Maxwell
- 1887/88 Richard S. Reeves
- 1888/89 John MacSheehy
- 1889/90 W. Burroughs Stanley
- 1890/91 Francis R. M. Crozier
- 1891/92 Thomas C. Franks
- 1892/93 Edward Fitgerald
- 1893/94 John Alexander French
- 1894/95 Trevor T. L. Overend
- 1895/96 Sir William Fry
- 1896/97 Sir William Findlater
- 1897/98 William Henry Dunne
- 1898/99 Hugh Stuart Moore
- 1899/00 Richard S. Reeves
- 1900/01 James Goff and Sir George Roche
- 1901/02 Charles A. Stanuell
- 1902/03 Sir Augustine F. Baker
- 1903/04 Robert Keating Clay and Edward D. MacLaughlin
- 1904/05 Edward D. MacLaughlin
- 1905/06 Sir John P. Lynch
- 1906/07 William S. Heyes
- 1907/08 George H. Lyster
- 1908/09 William J. Shannon
- 1909/10 Richard A. MacNamara
- 1910/11 Frederick W. Meredith
- 1911/12 Gerald Byrne
- 1912/13 James Henry
- 1913/14 Henry J. Sinnott
- 1914/15 Arthur E. Bradley
- 1915/16 Charles St George Orpen
- 1916/17 John W. Richards
- 1917/18 William V. Seddall
- 1918/19 Richard Blair White
- 1919/20 Robert G. Warren
- 1920/21 Charles G. Gamble
- 1921/22 Patrick J. Brady
- 1922/23 Joseph E. MacDermott
- 1923/24 James Moore
- 1924/25 Arthur H. S. Orpen
- 1925/26 Thomas G. Quirke
- 1926/27 William T. Sheridan
- 1927/28 Basil Thompson
- 1928/29 Edward H. Burne
- 1929/30 Peter Seales
- 1930/31 Alexander D. Orr
- 1931/32 Laurence J. Ryan
- 1932/33 W. Gorden Bradley
- 1933/34 James J. Lynch
- 1934/35 Charles Laverty
- 1935/36 Michael E. Knight
- 1936/37 John J. Duggan
- 1937/38 Thomas W. Delaney
- 1938/39 Daniel J. Reilly
- 1939/40 Henry P. Mayne
- 1940/41 J. Travers Wolfe
- 1941/42 G. Acheson Overend
- 1942/43 John B. Hamill
- 1943/44 Louis E. O'Dea
- 1944/45 Parick F. O'Reilly
- 1945/46 Daniel O'Connell
- 1946/47 H. St J. Blake
- 1947/48 Sean O hUadhaigh
- 1948/49 Patrick R. Boyd
- 1949/50 William J. Norman
- 1950/51 Roger Green
- 1951/52 Arthur Cox
- 1952/53 James R. Quirke
- 1953/54 Joseph Barrett
- 1954/55 Thomas A. O'Reilly
- 1955/56 Dermot P. Shaw
- 1956/57 Nial S. Gaffney
- 1957/58 John Carrigan
- 1958/59 John R. Halpin
- 1959/60 John J. Nash
- 1960/61 Ralph J. Walker
- 1961/62 George G. Overend
- 1962/63 Francis J. Lanigan
- 1963/64 Desmond J. Collins
- 1964/65 John Maher
- 1965/66 Robert McD. Taylor
- 1966/67 Patrick O'Donnell TD
- 1967/68 Parick Noonan
- 1968/69 Eunan McCarran
- 1969/70 James R. C. Green
- 1970/71 Brendan A. McGrath
- 1971/72 James W. O'Donovan
- 1972/73 Thomas V. O'Connor
- 1973/74 Peter D. M. Prentice
- 1974/75 William A. Osbourne
- 1975/76 Patrick G. Moore
- 1976/77 Bruce St John Blake
- 1977/78 Josseph L. Dundon
- 1978/79 Gerald Hickey
- 1979/80 Walter Beatty
- 1980/81 Moya Quinlan
- 1981/82 Brendan W. Allen
- 1982/83 Michael P. Houlihan
- 1983/84 Frank O'Donnell
- 1984/85 Anthony E. Collins
- 1985/86 Laurence Cullun
- 1986/87 David R. Pigot
- 1987/88 Thomas D. Shaw
- 1988/89 Maurice R. Curran
- 1989/90 Ernest Margetson
- 1990/91 Donal G. Binchy
- 1991/92 Adrian P. Bourke
- 1992/93 Raymond T. Monahan
- 1993/94 Michael V. O'Mahony
- 1994/95 Patrick A. Glynn
- 1995/96 Andrew F. Smyth
- 1996/97 Francis D. Daly
- 1997/98 Laurence K. Shields
- 1998/99 Patrick O'Connor
- 1999/00 Anthony H. Ensor
- 2000/01 Ward McEllin
- 2001/02 Elma Lynch
- 2002/03 Geraldine M. Clarke
- 2003/04 Gerard F. Griffin
- 2004/05 Owen M. Binchy
- 2005/06 Michael Irvine
- 2006/07 Philip M. Joyce
- 2007/08 James MacGuill
- 2008/09 John D. Shaw
- 2009/10 Gerard Doherty
- 2010/11 John E. Costello
- 2011/12 Donald Binchey
- Sources: The Law Society of Ireland 1852-2002: Portrait of a Profession By Eamonn G. Hall and Daire Hogan: Appendice 2, Pages 226-227, ISBN 1851826955 and the The Law Directory 2011 published by the Law Society of Ireland
List of Auditors of the Solicitors' Apprentices Debating Society since 1884
- 1884/85 Ernest W. Harris
- 1885/86 Edward N. Greer
- 1886/87 Robert Dickie
- 1887/88 Guy B. Pilkington
- 1888/89 John Robert O'Connell
- 1889/90 William A. FitzHenry
- 1890/91 William H. Geoghegan
- 1891/92 Joseph J. Dudley
- 1892/93 John H. Walsh
- 1893/94 Peter L. Macardle
- 1894/95 James Tench
- 1895/96 Edward P. O'Flanagn
- 1896/97 Edwin N. Edwards
- 1897/98 William Ireland Good
- 1898/99 Robert N. Keohler
- 1899/00 John J. McDonald
- 1900/01 Patrick J. Materson
- 1901/02 Henry A. Drennan
- 1902/03 James O'Brien
- 1903/04 Patrick Donnelly
- 1904/05 Laurence J. O'Neill
- 1905/06 James J. Hayden
- 1906/07 James C.B. Proctor
- 1907/08 Henry Shannon
- 1908/09 Enda B. Healy
- 1909/10 Charles B.W. Boyle
- 1910/11 John J. Molloy
- 1911/12 Thomas Arkins
- 1912/13 Ambrose Davoren and Christopher Crozier Shaw
- 1913/14 Arthur Cox
- 1914/15 Conor A. Maguire and John O'Hanrahan
- 1915/16 John Foley
- 1916/17 Patrick J. Ruttledge
- 1917/18 Barry I. Sullivan
- 1918/19 William Devoy
- 1919/20 James J. Stack
- 1920/21 Michael J.C. Keane
- 1921/22 Helena M. Early
- 1922/23 Edward A. Cleary
- 1923/24 John S. O'Connor
- 1924/25 Patrick J. Loftus
- 1925/26 Patrick Byrne
- 1926/27 John J. Nash
- 1927/28 Gerald M. Counahan
- 1928/29 Herman Good
- 1929/30 Daniel J. O'Connor
- 1930/31 Eric A. Plunket
- 1931/32 Patrick J. O'Brien
- 1932/33 Charles J. Holohan
- 1933/34 William Walsh
- 1934/35 James F.G. Kent
- 1935/36 Francis A. Gibney
- 1936/37 Andrew G. Sheedy
- 1937/38 Peter L. Gibson
- 1938/39 Anthony J.F. Hussey
- 1939/40 Michael J. Egan
- 1940/41 Dominic M. Dowling
- 1941/42 Patrick P. O'Sullivan
- 1942/43 Louis V. Nolan
- 1943/44 Patick J. Brennan
- 1944/45 Frank Martin
- 1945/46 Sean M. Flanagan
- 1946/47 George J. Colley
- 1947/48 John Edmund Doyle
- 1948/49 James P. Woods
- 1949/50 Edmund S. Doyle
- 1950/51 Richard Ryan
- 1951/52 Patrick C. Kilroy
- 1952/53 Charles Hennessy
- 1953/54 Walter Beaty
- 1954/55 Desmond P.H. Windle
- 1955/56 John F. Buckley
- 1956/57 T. Michael Williams
- 1957/58 Laurence F. Branigan
- 1958/59 Richard M. Neville
- 1959/60 Michael J. Hogan
- 1960/61 Bruce St. John Blake
- 1961/62 Thomas C. Smyth
- 1962/63 Dermot Loftus
- 1963/64 Michael V. O'Mahony
- 1964/65 Thomas W. Enright
- 1965/66 Fergus E. Armstong
- 1966/67 James F. O'Higgins
- 1967/68 Donough H. O'Connor
- 1968/69 Michael C. Larkin
- 1969/70 Michael S. Roche
- 1970/71 Elizabeth A. Ryan
- 1971/72 Laurence K. Shields
- 1972/73 Bryan C. Sheridan
- 1973/74 Michael Staines
- 1974/75 Brian P. O'Rielly
- 1975/76 Niall Sheridan
- 1976/77 Ciaran A. O'Mara
- 1977/78 Michael D. Murphy
- 1978/79 Liam T. Cosgrave
- 1979/80 John J. Reid
- 1980/81 Richard Grogan
- 1981/82 Laurence W. Ennis
- 1982/83 William F. Holohan
- 1983/84 Aislinn M. O'Farrell
- 1984/85 Terence McCrann
- 1985/86 Francis Hacket
- 1986/87 Brian J. O'Connor
- 1987/88 Gavin Buckley
- 1988/89 Paul D. White
- 1989/90 Eileen A. Roberts
- 1990/91 Joseph N. Kelly
- 1991/92 Edward T. O'Connor
- 1992/93 Paula E. Murphy
- 1993/94 Philippa M. Howley
- 1994/95 Fergal P. Brennan
- 1995/96 Paul A. Murphy
- 1996/97 Matthew McCabe
- 1997/98 John Cahir
- 1998/99 Louise Gallagher
- 1999/00 Keith Walsh
- 2000/01 Claire O'Regan
- 2001/02 Martin Hayes
- 2002/03 Des Barry
- 2003/04 Richard Hammond
- 2004/05 Liam FitzGerald
- 2005/06 Jamie FitzMaurice
- 2006/07 Vacant
- 2007/08 Vacant
- 2008/09 Vacant
- 2009/10 Maurice Regan
- 2010/11
- 2011/12
- Sources: The Law Society of Ireland 1852-2002: Portrait of a Profession By Eamonn G. Hall and Daire Hogan: Appendice 3, Pages 228-229 ISBN 1851826955 and the The Law Directory 2011 published by the Law Society of Ireland