LEGAL PRACTITIONERS (QUALIFICATION) ACT, 1929

AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION FOR SECURING THAT FUTURE MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION SHALL POSSESS A COMPETENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE IRISH LANGUAGE. [28th June, 1929.]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS OF SAORSTÁT EIREANN AS FOLLOWS:—

1 Definitions.

1.—In this Act—

the expression “the Chief Justice” means the Chief Justice of Saorstát Eireann;

the expression “the Incorporated Law Society” means the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland acting under their present or any future charters; and

the expression “competent knowledge of the Irish Language” means such a degree of oral and written proficiency in the use of the language as is sufficient to enable a legal practitioner efficiently to receive instructions, to advise clients, to examine witnesses and to follow proceedings in the Irish language.

2 Persons to whom Act applies.

2.—This Act shall not apply to any person who was over the age of fifteen years on the 1st day of October, 1929, and in this Act the word “person” shall be construed accordingly.

3 Qualification for degree of barrister-at-law.

3.—No person shall be admitted by the Chief Justice to practise as a barrister-at-law in the Courts of Saorstát Eireann unless before such person is so admitted he satisfies the Chief Justice, by such evidence as the Chief Justice shall prescribe, that he possesses a competent knowledge of the Irish language: Provided always that nothing in this section contained shall prevent the Chief Justice from admitting to practise as a barrister-at-law in the Courts of Saorstát Eireann any member of three years' standing at any other Bar who has been admitted to the degree of barrister-at-law by the Benchers of the Honourable Society of King's Inns, Dublin, pursuant to a reciprocal arrangement whereby members of the Bar of Saorstát Eireann may be admitted to practise at such other Bar.

4 Qualification for certificates of the Incorporated Law Society.

4.—(1) In addition to the examinations mentioned in section 8 of the Solicitors (Ireland) Act, 1898, the Incorporated Law Society is hereby authorised and required to hold at least once in every year a first examination in the subject of the Irish language (in this Act referred to as a first examination in Irish) and a second examination in the subject of the Irish language (in this Act referred to as a second examination in Irish), and the provisions contained in the said section 8 shall apply to every such examination in the subject of the Irish language in like manner as they apply to the examinations mentioned in that section save that such examinations in the subject of the Irish language shall be conducted only by examiners for the time being approved of by the Minister for Education and that every second examination in Irish shall be so prescribed and conducted as to secure that persons who pass such examination have a competent knowledge of the Irish language.

• (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Solicitors (Ireland) Act, 1898, no person shall be capable of being bound by indentures of apprenticeship to serve as an apprentice to a solicitor unless he has obtained from the Incorporated Law Society a certificate that he has passed a first examination in Irish, and no person shall be admitted a solicitor unless he has obtained from the Incorporated Law Society a certificate that he has passed a second examination in Irish within one year before the expiration of the term of his apprenticeship or within one year before being so admitted.

5 Short Title.

5.—This Act may be cited as the Legal Practitioners (Qualification) Act, 1929.