MARY ROBINSON, AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE IRISH ASSOCIATION OF LAW TEACHERS
DCU BUSINESS SCHOOL, ON 26 NOVEMBER, 1993
President,
Members,
- I am very happy indeed to be here today to open the Association's Annual Conference. As an Emeritus member of the Association of Law Teachers, I am deeply interested both in the work of the members as teachers of law and in the legal issues dealt with by this Association.
- The theme of this year's Conference is wide ranging and, as the Programme is structured, branches into the medical, legal and accounting professions. The theme is also a challenging one: for medical, legal and accounting practitioners and for those in the business community generally, a high standard of ethics should be a guiding principle of practice. The promotion and maintenance of standards among the professions is essential to client or consumer confidence; it is also vital to the quality of advice and services offered and it is a major element in preserving the integrity of the professions themselves.
- As never before, ethics relating to many aspects of medical practice are the subject of debate both in the medical profession and in public. The issue of standards in the
legal profession also has the attention of that profession and the public. You may be aware of proposed changes in regard to the statutory regulation of the solicitor's profession which focus on the promotion of the highest standards in the profession, among other things. Such change is to be welcomed, I feel, as standards in all professions should be constantly monitored, revised and updated where necessary.
- Of course the existence of standards is of itself no guarantee that actual medical, legal or business practice is of a consistently high standard. We in Ireland are fortunate that, for the most part, this is in fact the case. However, so as to maintain those high standards, it is vitally important to consider the issue of their enforcement. An effective and impartial system of enforcement of practice standards - whether through self-regulation or by statute - can benefit the client or consumer as well as the profession itself.
- Of course, ethics is not a commodity that can simply be acquired by the practitioner. A code of ethics is in essence a value system that must be learnt and appreciated. I believe that it is in the course of preparing individuals for the professions that value-systems can be imparted. Where training is based on such principles, we can rest assured about standards of ethics in practice. I know that as law teachers, you, as members of the Association take on that responsibility in the formation of legal practitioners of the future. This is a vital task as the legal profession has a key role to play in upholding our system of justice.
- There is an important focus in the Conference Programme on the European Community dimension. This, I feel properly reflects the growing influence of community legislation on professional practice here. The scope of the legal profession, for example, is being changed dramatically by the development of the Internal Market. The pace of change is likely to be accelerated as a result of developments in the GATT. The "market" in legal services is becoming a truly international one.
- The standard of ethics is just one of very many aspects of the professions that are evolving and developing in response to changing practice conditions. The legal profession is facing change, both economic and regulatory. The structure of legal education itself, with which you are so centrally involved, also faces change; economic conditions and limitations on resources demand this. The services and skills of members of the legal profession are changing over time. So too must the content and form of legal education and training in Ireland. The issue is currently the subject of intense debate. Inevitably the legal professions as well as legal educators will be affected by changing patterns and demands in legal education.
- I have referred to the importance of practice ethics for clients of the professions as consumers of service. The subject-matter of this Conference is of vital interest to the general public. I was delighted to note that the public will be given the opportunity to consider and discuss the published account of the proceedings of Conference. It is to the general public as users of these services that the issue of standards in the professions matter most.
- Finally, I would like to congratulate the Council of the Association on an impressive Programme for the Conference and may I wish you all an interesting and challenging week-end.