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SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1935. Volume 6. Number 18.

Have You Voted? — For Law Students

Have You Voted?

For Law Students.

Dear "Smad"—

A bill entitled "An Act to Amend the Law Practitioners' Act 1931," is to be presented this session, by the Attorney-General, which will, if passed, detrimentally effect a great proportion of the Law Faculty at V.U.C.

The Bill provides that after its enactment "no person shall commence practice as a solicitor on his own account, whether in partnership or otherwise, unless he has had at least three years' experience in the office of a solicitor or firm of solicitors in active legal practice," and that no person shall be admitted as a barrister unless he has been a solicitor for not less than five years.

This Bill may have the laudable aim of preventing undesirables from handling trust moneys, but it will also prejudice all present students taking law, who are not at the same time in law offices.

Surely a student, who begins a course at a University College, and is led to expect that on completion he will enjoy certain privileges, can reasonably assume that those privileges will remain open to him, and not be placed beyond his reach, after he has begun his course. Moreover, the Bill does not apply to those who are at present qualified for admission, and of those whom it does not affect, there are many who have not had experience in a legal office. If the Bill exempts those from its provisions it should also, to be consistently fair, exempt present law dents.

Apparently, however, the Law society has other views and the hardship caused to present law students, is a matter of indifference to it. Something must be done by the students affected to forward a protest to the proper quarter. It is up to the various law students societies to take a stand in the matter.

—K. A. Gough.

Peace Ballot closes on September 30th.