Law Society hits back after High Court chief’s ‘attack’

THE Law Society has hit out against the High Court after criticisms of it in the wake of high profile cases of solicitors manipulating mortgage applications.

Last night, the president of the Law Society, James MacGuill said the Master of the High Court Edmund Honohan had made an “extraordinary attack” on solicitors. Mr MacGuill said the comments of Mr Honohan, at a speech to UCC law students on Thursday night, ignored the persistent efforts being made by the society.

He said in light of the controversies involving solicitors who had authorised mortgages on false pretenses, the Law Society would not be found wanting.

He rejected any criticisms made by Mr Honohan. “The society had taken possession of more than 4,000 current files in relation to the Lynn and Byrne cases. The society is communicating with clients in these cases urging them to choose and instruct other solicitors.... so that the necessary legal business can be completed. I can confirm the society has been expediting cases where particular urgency or hardship has been brought to its attention,” he said.

Mr MacGuill added the Law Society has provided the compensation fund of €30m for people adversely affected by the situation.

He said they “intend to fix, so we can provide greater reassurance to people who have suffered loss through the dishonesty of any solicitor”.

Mr MacGuill rejected claims the legal profession was benefiting from self-regulation. He said the Law Society was fully supportive of any measures that would increase the proportion of non-solicitors on its Complaints and Client Relations Committee. He said this was in the interest of independence and to insure public perception did not feel decisions were biased in favour of solicitors.

Proposed legislation setting up a public watchdog on lawyers will get its first airing for discussion in Leinster House next week.

The long-awaited Civil Law Bill provides for the establishment of a Legal Services Ombudsman which would have the power to investigate complaints against barristers and solicitors where the complainant is unhappy with the way their grievance has been handled by the Bar Council or Law Society.

The contentious bill, which would end the practice of self-regulation of the legal profession, will come before the Dáil’s Select Justice Committee next Wednesday at the start of what is likely to be at least a year-long journey to enactment as law.