§ 2.42 p.m.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that law students from overseas Commonwealth States are receiving the requisite training in Great Britain to fit them for practice in a single fused legal profession in their own countries.]
559§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD DILHORNE)My Lords, the Council of Legal Education provides courses for members of the four Inns of Court who are reading for the examinations for the Bar. In the same way, persons who are proposing to take the Law Society's qualifying examinations can attend training courses provided by the College of Law which has the support of the Law Society. I must make it clear, however, that there is no ministerial responsibility in the matter whatever. I do, of course, take a great personal interest in this subject as did my noble predecessor Lord Kilmuir, and I am able to give your Lordships the following information.
Until recently the Council of Legal Education has experienced considerable difficulty in securing the necessary accommodation for their lectures. I am very pleased to be able to inform your Lordships that, thanks to the generosity of the Benchers of Gray's Inn, the Inns of Court School of Law has recently been able to move into new accommodation at which vastly improved facilities are available. This has enabled the Council, in particular, to develop further the post-final practical training course which is designed to fit Commonwealth students for practice in the type of profession referred to by the noble Lord.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, while thanking the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor for that Answer, and knowing full well the interest that both he and his predecessor have taken in this matter, may I ask the Government to do whatever they can to develop the postgraduate part of the tuition so that training is given in the composite profession, so to speak, which these men will be pursuing in their countries after their return, and which they have little opportuniy of learning about in this country at the moment?
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I think the Council of Legal Education and, indeed, the Law Society can be trusted to pay attention to that particular point. I should perhaps inform the noble Lord that the Law Society did their best to organise a post-final practical training course of the kind recommended, but they had to abandon this scheme as there was virtu- 560 tually no demand for the course from the overseas students.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, is it not the fact that this instruction would best be taken during the course prior to qualification, because so many young men want to go back to their countries immediately after they have qualified? Is it not the fact that if the Bar Council and the Inns of Court could be persuaded to make this part of the tuition for qualification for the Bar, a great deal of assistance would be given to these young men?
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I am not sure that I fully understand what the noble Lord means by "made part of the tuition" before the Bar examination is taken. I can assure him that the Council of Legal Education, on the one hand, and the College of Law, supported by the Law Society, on the other, are fully alive to the need to give the overseas students the best possible training.