Solicitors' Acts, 1954 and 1960 (Apprenticeship and Education) Regulations, 1975.
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: These Regulations may be cited as the Solicitors' Acts, 1954 and 1960 (Apprenticeship and Education) Regulations, 1975, and shall be read with the Regulations cited in the Schedule hereto.
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paragraphs: Subject to the transitional arrangements in Regulation 32 hereof, these Regulations shall come into operation on 1st October, 1975, and shall in so far as they are inconsistent with the Regulations cited in the Schedule hereto be deemed to amend such Regulations on and from that date.
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paragraphs: In these Regulations the expression
"the Act" means the Solicitors' Act 1954;
"the Society" means The Incorporated Law Society of Ireland;
"the Council" means the Council of the Society;
"the Committee" means the Education Committee appointed under Regulation 5;
"the Registrar" means the Registrar for the time being of the Society;
"an apprentice" means a person whose name has been entered in the Register of Apprentices;
"recognised university" means any of the universities of Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales;
"the Preliminary Examination" and "the Final Examination" have the meanings assigned to them in these Regulations;
"prescribed form" means the form or forms adopted by the Committee from time to time for use in complying with these Regulations.
Other expressions used in these Regulations shall have the same meanings as they have in the Act unless such meaning is inconsistent with the context in which they are used.
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paragraphs: The Interpretation Act, 1937 shall apply for the purpose of the interpretation of these Regulations as it applies for the purpose of the interpretation of an Act of the Oireachtas, except in so far as it may be inconsistent with the Act or these Regulations.
EDUCATION COMMITTEE.
Constitution.
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paragraphs: (i) At the first meeting of the Council to be held after the Annual General Meeting of the Society each year the Council shall appoint an Education Committee in these Regulations called "the Committee", consisting of nine members including the President, the Senior Vice-President and immediate past President respectively of the Society and six members of the Council.
Tenure of Office
(ii) The members of the Committee shall take office immediately upon appointment and shall held office until the appointment of their successors. Outgoing members shall be eligible for re-appointment. Three members of the Committee shall form a quorum.
Vacancies
(iii) A vacancy arising on the Committee may be filled by the Council at any time and a member appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office until the next meeting of the Council at which the Committee shall be appointed.
Powers and Duties
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paragraphs: The Committee shall have such powers and duties, in addition to those conferred or imposed upon it by these Regulations, as may be delegated to it by the Council from time to time.
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paragraphs: The Committee shall prescribe the courses of study to be followed by apprentices and lay down the standards to be attained at the Society's examinations. The Committee shall also consider and adjudicate upon the reports of the Examiners.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
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paragraphs: (i) For the better discharge of its duties, the Committee shall at its first meeting after its appointment appoint an advisory committee in these Regulations called "The Advisory Committee" comprising not more than nine persons of whom not more than five shall be members of either the Committee or the Council and of whom at least one may be an Examiner.
(ii) A vacancy arising on the Advisory Committee may be filled by the Committee at any time and a person appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office as a member of the Advisory Committee until the next meeting of the Committee at which an Advisory Committee may be appointed under these Regulations.
Lecturers and Examiners
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paragraphs: The Committee may appoint such persons as it may see fit to be lecturers or examiners or both to the Society upon such terms and conditions and with such remuneration as the Council may approve, and the Committee may at any time remove any person so appointed.
APPRENTICESHIP.
Conditions to be satisfied before Apprenticeship
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paragraphs: (i) No person shall enter into Indentures of Apprenticeship unless he:—
( a ) Holds a Degree (other than an Honorary Degree) of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Law of a recognised university, or
( b ) holds a University Degree (not being an Honorary Degree) or other qualification, which Degree or qualification in the opinion of the Committee in the particular case is equivalent to a Degree (not being an Honorary Degree) of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Law of a recognised university, or
( c ) has passed the Preliminary Examination established by Regulation 15 (iii) hereof, or
( d ) has been exempted from the Preliminary Examination established by Regulation 15 (iii) hereof under any provision of the Act or of these Regulations.
For the purpose of this sub-paragraph an examination for a degree or qualification referred to at (a) and (b) above shall be equivalent to the Preliminary Examination.
(ii) A person who satisfies the requirements of sub-paragraph 10 (i) hereof on desiring to be registered as an apprentice shall lodge with the Registrar the following documents:—
( a ) an official certificate of his birth;
( b ) a certificate of such degree, qualification (or evidence, to the satisfaction of the Committee, of entitlement thereto) or a certificate of having passed the Preliminary Examination or of having been exempted therefrom;
( c ) a certificate of character in the prescribed form;
( d ) an application in the prescribed form supported by a statement of fitness from his intended Master.
(iii) The Committee may require an applicant or his intended Master, or both of them, to attend for interview prior to the registration of the applicant's name in the Register of Apprentices and no applicant shall enter upon his apprenticeship until he has been informed in writing by the Registrar that his application has been accepted.
Procedure on Apprenticeship
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paragraphs: An applicant who has been notified by the Registrar that his application has been accepted shall within six months from the date of such notification lodge with the Registrar:—
( a ) A deed of apprenticeship in the prescribed form executed by the applicant and his Master.
( b ) If requested, a statutory declaration by the Master or other evidence of due execution.
( c ) The prescribed fee payable to the Society.
Upon the receipt of the foregoing the Registrar shall enrol the Deed of Apprenticeship and enter the name of the applicant on the Register of Apprentices.
Transfer of Indentures or Supplemental Indentures
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paragraphs: Before the execution of the transfer of indentures or supplemental indentures under Section 32 of the Act, the apprentice shall obtain the permission in writing of the Committee and shall lodge with the Registrar an application supported by a statement of fitness from the intended new Master and if such application is approved by the Committee the Registrar shall enter particulars of such Transfer in the Register of Apprentices.
EXAMINATIONS AND LAW SCHOOL.
First and Second Examinations in the Irish Language
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paragraphs: To comply with the provisions of Section 40 (3) of the Act:—
(i) ( a ) an examination described as "a first examination in the Irish Language" shall be held at least once in every year at such time as the Committee may appoint for persons seeking to be registered as apprentices;
( b ) an intending apprentice who was born on or after 2nd October 1914 shall pass a first examination in the Irish Language before entering into indentures of apprenticeship.
(ii) ( a ) an examination described as "a second examination in the Irish Language" shall be held at least once in every year at such time as the Committee may appoint for persons seeking to be admitted as solicitors;
( b ) such examination shall be so conducted and be of such a nature as to secure that persons who pass it have a competent knowledge of the Irish Language, that is to say, such a degree of oral and written proficiency in the use of the language as is sufficient to enable a solicitor efficiently to receive instructions, to advise clients, to examine witnesses and to follow proceedings in the Irish Language;
( c ) every apprentice or person seeking admission as a solicitor, who was born on or after 2nd October 1914, shall pass a second examination in the Irish Language within two years before the expiration of the term of apprenticeship or within two years before admission as a solicitor.
Examinations of the Society.
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paragraphs: The Society shall hold a Preliminary Examination for persons seeking to be bound under indentures of apprentices and a final examination (which may be divided into two or more parts) for persons seeking to be admitted as solicitors.
Preliminary Examinations.
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paragraphs: (i) A preliminary examination shall be held once in each year at such time as the Committee may appoint;
(ii) a person seeking permission to sit for the Preliminary Examination shall have attained the age of 21 years at the date of such examination;
(iii) the Preliminary Examination shall comprise—
( a ) an essay in the English Language;
( b ) a paper on English literature;
( c ) a paper on General Knowledge;
( d ) such other subject or subjects as the Committee may from time to time prescribe;
( e ) an interview to assess the suitability of the candidate for registration as an apprentice.