Message from the President
DSBA Stands in Support
O
n the 24th of February 2022, the Russian government commenced an illegal war on the people of Ukraine. No words can properly describe the pain, shock and suffering being felt by the people of Ukraine. The Dublin Solicitors Bar Association endorses the message issued by the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe on the 1st of March 2022. The DSBA and its members have been at the forefront of advancing and defending the legal principles upon which democracy and the rule of law are based in Ireland. The DSBA joins EU institutions and the international community in their demand that the Russian government immediately ceases its illegal invasion of Ukraine. All states must respect the fundamental obligations, values, principles and freedoms set out in the Charter of the United Nations, the European Convention on Human Rights, Budapest Memoranda on Security Assurances, and other general principles of public international law, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Respect for international laws and treaties must be maintained and upheld. In the current tragic context in which the Ukrainian people find themselves, the need to uphold the rule of law is of paramount importance. I wish to highlight the particular importance of the need to respect universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity. Europe must remain an area of peace, freedom, security and justice. In particular, I express solidarity with our Ukrainian colleagues. I am also mindful of the position of those Russian colleagues who may not be able to speak out against this illegal war for fear of their lives. The DSBA formed a Public Interest and Human Rights law committee last year and this is timely in light of recent events. The DSBA is exploring ways to assist our Ukrainian colleagues via fundraising and otherwise, including a table quiz, and I would very much welcome any suggestions or support from our members. Since the last edition of the Parchment, there have been significant changes leading to the re-opening of society. The last two years have led to huge shifts in society and not least in the legal profession. The introduction of online Court hearings and remote working are two major changes. Many developments
4 the Parchment
have been positive, for example, the increased use of video platforms has greatly enhanced capacity to meet clients and deliver comprehensive advices at short notice. Other developments have been less positive, such as the reduction in opportunities to meet colleagues. Many people are understandably keen to look to get “back to normal.” However, I hope that we can look “forward to better.” Pre pandemic, significant challenges existed in the legal world. These included challenges relating to professional indemnity insurance, a Court system that lacked resources both in terms of facilities and personnel, delays in access to justice and the scourge of bullying and harassment as highlighted in the Dignity Matters report. None of these issues are new and indeed it is likely that many difficulties have been exacerbated during the pandemic. However, a lot of great work is being done both by solicitors and other key stakeholders such as the Courts Service and the judiciary. For example, significant progress has been made in terms of freeing up capacity in the Circuit Court. Our Litigation Committee, and in particular our colleagues Killian O’Reilly and James McMahon, are actively working with the Courts Service and the judiciary to support this. Our Property Committee has also prepared submissions to the Consultation on the Creation of New Profession of Conveyancer which has been lodged with the LSRA (Legal Services Regulatory Authority). The DSBA continues to advocate for solicitors on all major
issues of relevance to the profession. Other committees are working hard on developing legal knowledge for our members with new precedents and industry leading seminars. In particular, I will highlight the great work being done by the Mental Health and Capacity Committee, and in particular our colleagues Joan Doran and Aine Hynes, who recently held a seminar on the upcoming Capacity Act attended by over 70 members and chaired by our former President, Judge John O’Connor. I mentioned above that one of the downsides of the last two years was the reduction in opportunities to meet colleagues. Collegiality and interaction is at the heart of wellbeing and legal learning and development. It is particularly important for younger members and members from minority backgrounds. I will conclude by hoping that between the time of writing and you reading this edition that the illegal war will have ended. The outbreak of hostilities in Europe underlines how fragile democracy and the rule of law can be. Remember that our democracy depends on dedicated, hardworking and honest solicitors like yourselves. Ireland is lucky to have the calibre of solicitors that it has who, day in day out, protect the rights of every class of people in Ireland. We will continue to work together to defend those hard won rights and also to support each other as colleagues and essential workers in the upholding of the rule of law. Diego Gallagher, DSBA President
