LAW SOCIETY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 136, 6 December 1927, Page 4

LAW SOCIETY

THE PRIVY COUNCIL

WOMEN IN PROFESSION

(From '/The Post's" RBprjssentatWe.) „ ' ■- ■ LONDON,' Sth October. ■ In the course of his address at the Provincial Meeting of the''Law .Society the chairman (Mr. Cecil Allen' Coward) referred to the proposal to strengthen the Privy Council by the addition of two new judges, and the Lord Chancellor's intimation that these new judges should be subject to an age limit. The desirability of the latter arrangement, he said, was open to question. The cases which now came before the Privy Council were far greater in number and importance and came from a far greater number of coun- ! tries than in times past, and it I was; therefore more important than ever to see that the decisions were those of a tribunal composed of persons of such , eminence, and knowledge that their judgments should outweigh those which could be obtained-from any other tribunal. Unless, the Privy Council maintained such a. 'standard"there was risk that our fellow subjects, beyond the eeis might hesitate to appeal.to an', uncertain tribunal, and might ; preferfto abide by the decisions of the Courts of their x own country. ; Thfere Waß at present no age limit applicable to the members of the Privy Council' and the' House of Xords. •; This would seem 'to-'raise a'question of moment. It was 'not,clear - why*, if an'age Jimit could be imposed, it should'not be applied to all appointments'to be; hereafter made. ■Mr; Coward adverted to the anomalies which may aris^ei through differences inP.P'nion in ,tbe.:House'.of .Loirdß leading to .majoriQr decision*, and instanced- the Archer-Shee inepme- tax'case. . In that ?*?e the Judge (if first instance decided in favour:of th«.Crbwn i; ,The three Appeal Judges unanimously, reversed that decision,' „In the Houge:of Lords three Judges were mr favour, of the Crown, and two were for affirming the decision of the Courtof Appeal, ... Iri the result therefore, there were sri all the Courts four Judges in favour of the ultimate decision and five agarnst, it. ; ;Could that be considered satisfactory?.' Would it not bo wise in such circumstances to have the case re-argued, possibly with-the assistances of Judges from the ordinary Courts. WOMEN AS BARRISTERS. T>n the subject of women's entrance into the professions, the president said it might be questioned whether they had been as successful at the Bar as in other spheres, as,' for instance, medicine. Portia probably succeeded as she did, not by knowledge of the law, even of Venice, but by her unhesitating assurance and persistency ln_ laying down what she 6aid was the law in definite and indisputable terms and by her charm of manner and winning ways in doing bo. - , ■ ' There was no reason'why the fair sex should not succeed in either branch of the law. They certainly possessed the attributes .which, : had made Portia so mJ ÜBamongi»B-: However, that might be,-they. BhQuld welcome those who joined 7ei? ::pSof^?!i';:'whether is solicitors or •r lpiaar' witil was figuratively described .as .open arniß, and he could assure them; that they might with every confidence Jobk. forward to enjoy that posii°•?, ™lcl * their knowledge, judgment; skill ability,, and discretion might properly justify. •'..-In.one respect women were still favoured by. : 'o t ur law, as, unless traders, : they might incur debts to any extent with at any ra,te,;. the knowledge that they were not sribjept to the bankruptcy laws