SIX-AND-EIGHTPENCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 191, 8 May 1919, Page 7

SIX-AND-EIGHTPENCE

ENGLISH LAWYERS "GET TO-" • • - UETHEB." Some severe things respecting the Bar nnd its charges were said at a meeting of the English Law Society recently, vhen, after a brief discussion on the admission of women to the legal profession, a resolution declaring it to ,be in the public interest that there should be a complete fusion between the two branches of the legal profession was carried. A poll will be taken on the subject. Mr._ Gisborne, the mover, said he was astonished to hnd that it was' more expensive for a solicitor to be admitted to the Bar than for the man in the street. Mr. Kennedy contended that,one of the greatest evils of the present time' was the monstrous and exorbitant fees charged by counsel. In the last sittings of the Divorce Court there were 1000 undefended eases. ■ "And we have perforce to employ barristers for those undefended cases," added the speaker. "Let us bo sensible. I. he sooner we can knock out this anomaly and stupidity of the Bar and get down to business -men serving the interests of the public the better." ■Mr. J. Dodd, who moved an amendment in favour of solicitors having audience in all : Courts, of Justice equally with barristers, said: "It is an outrage than wo should be excluded not merely from the High Court, but from all sorts of pettifogging courts like the Mayor's Court and Quarter Sessions. It is intolerable that the Bar s'aouM establish a sort of trade union which holds solicitors up with a, sort of blackmail to obey its behests. r "Talk of the honour of the Bar," Mr. Dodd went on. "They have that funny bag at the back of their gown in which wo are supposed to drop the fees." Ho had a case in whicli counsel struck unless ho would give an outrageous refresher. He had to give way and mark the refresher they demanded, although it was absolutely certain he could not get it allowed on taxation. , "If that is the honour of the Bar," declared the speaker,""tho Bar must have sunk pretty low." It, had ruined the profession of the law by its continued extortions. On the subject of (ho of women to the legal profession the chairman said the question was one in which there was a marked divergence of opinion. It was not possible to say what attitude the. council would adopt until the Bill was introduced.