LEGAL BRIEFS:A new modular BL degree in the King's Inns was launched by the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Murray, last week.
This will allow people who are working in full-time jobs to qualify as barristers by taking the existing BL course on a part-time basis over two years. The existing course, which was revised in 2004, has a strong practical and interactive content and students are divided into groups of about 16.
Those taking the part-time course will have to attend every third weekend during term time, along with two full weeks during the year. Extensive preparation will be required in advance of each class, and attendance is compulsory and monitored strictly. In order to complete the course a student must have attended at least 90 per cent of all classes.
Launching the new course the Chief Justice said: "It is vitally important that access to training for the Bar is available to everyone who has the potential to practise, including those who cannot afford (for financial or career reasons) to take time out of work to study . . . Such students contribute greatly to the barrister-at-law degree course and to the Bar itself, and equality of access is fundamental to a fair, transparent and healthy profession."
The chairman of the King's Inns, Conor Maguire, SC, added: "There are also many people who would benefit from the training and qualification, even though they do not wish to practise at the Bar; there are many areas of employment in the public service (for example in the Court Service or an Garda Siochána), or the private sector (banking or the media to give but two examples) where the training received on the degree course, together with the qualification of barrister, are an asset to the workplace." The fees for the new two-year modular course are €6,125 a year.
Mental Health Act review
The Mental Health Commission is asking members of the public and those with an interest in mental health issues to make submissions on the operation of Part 2 of the 2001 Mental Health Act. This concerns the involuntary admission of adults and children to approved centres. In addition to the public consultation, the MHC is carrying out a consultation with relevant organisations and groups within the mental health sector.
This consultation process is required by the Act, and the MHC must prepare and submit a report to the Minister for Health on the operation of Part 2 of the Act, along with any conclusions or recommendations it might make.
The final date for submissions, which must be forwarded in accordance with a required template available on the commission's website, is February 18th 2008. The website is mhcirl.ie.
Daniel O'Connell Memorial Lecture
A new annual lecture with a human rights theme has just been established by the Bar Council. It will be called the Daniel O'Connell Memorial Lecture.The inaugural lecture, entitled "The Silence of the Law in Time of War" will be given by attorney and author Pierce O'Donnell in the Round Hall of the Four Courts on February 7th at 6.30 pm.
Video-conferencing in prisons
The testing of video-conferencing between prisons and courts has now been completed by the Prison Service and the Courts Service, and the system is expected to be operational in certain courts by the second half of 2008.
A video-conferencing system has been installed in Cloverhill, and is being installed in Limerick District Court and Limerick Prison. Limerick is being prioritised because of particular security and space issues at this court-house.