The Incorporated Law Society of Northern Ireland, commonly known as the Law Society of Northern Ireland, is a professional body established by

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...

granted on 10 July 1922 and whose powers and duties are to regulate the solicitors' profession in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

with the aim of protecting the public. It is headquartered in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, Northern Ireland's capital city. Under the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, the Law Society acts as the regulatory authority governing the education, accounts, discipline and professional conduct of solicitors in order to maintain the independence, ethical standards, professional competence and quality of services offered to the public.

Relationship with the Law Society of Ireland

Prior to the

partition of Ireland The partition of Ireland ( ga, críochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. ...

, solicitors in what became Northern Ireland were regulated by the

Law Society of Ireland The Law Society of Ireland ( ga, Dlí-Chumann na hÉireann) is a professional body established on 24 June 1830 and is the educational, representative and regulatory body of the solicitors' profession in Ireland. As of 2020, the Law Society had ...

. Northern Ireland-qualified solicitors are entitled to apply to the Law Society of Ireland to be admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

without taking any further examinations. Republic of Ireland-qualified solicitors have a reciprocal eligibility.

History

The

was established on 24 June 1830 with premises at Inns Quay, Dublin. In November 1830, the committee of the Society submitted a memorial to the benchers as to the ‘necessity and propriety’ of erecting chambers for the use of solicitors with the funds that solicitors had been levied to pay to King's Inns over the years. The committee requested that the hall and chambers for the use of solicitors should be erected away from the King's Inns, and apartments in the

Four Courts The Four Courts ( ga, Na Ceithre Cúirteanna) is Ireland's most prominent courts building, located on Inns Quay in Dublin. The Four Courts is the principal seat of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Dublin Circui ...

were allotted by the King's Inns to solicitors in May 1841. However, the adequacy of that accommodation at the Four Courts was to be a bone of contention between the Society and the

benchers A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher ca ...

for 30 years. The first president, Josiah Dunn, was elected in 1842. In accordance with the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Ireland) 1877, anyone admitted as solicitors or attorneys were, from then on, to be referred to as solicitors of the Court of Judicature (although the title of attorney lives on in the designation of the chief law officer of the Northern Ireland as the Attorney General). Following the

, the separate Law Society of Northern Ireland was established on 10 July 1922.

Functions

The Law Society has a range of statutory and non-statutory functions. Under the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, the Law Society acts as the regulatory authority governing the education, accounts, discipline and professional conduct of solicitors in order to maintain the independence, ethical standards, professional competence and quality of services offered to the public. The Law Society's non-statutory functions relate to the representation and provision of services to its members and protecting the public interest.

Education

Solicitors in Northern Ireland are trained at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen's University Belfast.

Administration

The Law Society operates through an elected Council of 30 members, all practising solicitors, who serve on a voluntary basis. The Council is guided by the Presidential and Chief Executive Team which consists of the President, Senior Vice President, Junior President and Chief Executive.

Past Presidents

* 2005 – Attracta Wilson * 2006 – Rory McShane * 2007 – James Cooper * 2008 – Donald Eakin * 2009 – Barry Finlay * 2010 – Norville Connolly * 2011 – Brian Speers * 2012 – Imelda McMillan * 2013 – Michael Robinson * 2014 – Richard Palmer * 2015 – Arleen Elliott * 2016 – John Guerin * 2017 – Ian Huddleston * 2018 – Eileen Ewing * 2019 – Suzanne Rice * 2020 – Rowan White * 2021 – Rowan White * 2022 – Brigid Napier

References

Sources

External links

Official website
{{Law firms of the United Kingdom Northern Ireland, Law Society of Bar associations of Europe Legal organisations based in the United Kingdom Legal organisations based in Ireland Regulators of Northern Ireland Organizations established in 1922 1922 establishments in Northern Ireland Org Professional associations based in Ireland