Panel Members: Mrs. Elva Gallagher, Mr. Donal Rogers, Mr. Eugene Bradley, Mr. John Gill

• Eugene Bradley provided an update of activities by the VLPS including distributing 2,000 leaflets at Old Lammas Fair, Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland; also distributing leaflets at recent graduation of Barristers in Belfast and Radio & Press Briefings. The recent protest outside the Headquarters of the Law Society in Dublin during an International Conference was also a great success, due to the high profile of the meeting and the use of the VLPS banners along the front entrance to the building.

• John Gill provided the background regarding his own involvement and the corruption by the Legal Profession, which had prevented him from carrying on with his business of house building in County Clare and the 72 Court Hearings before 21 different judges, but he has still failed to get justice. Over the last few weeks Mr. Gill explained that he had lodged an application for registration of his development land with the Land Registry in Dublin. He has also provided a number of letters to the website with respect to dealings with the Revenue Commissioners in Dublin.

• John Gill provided a brief summary of 94-year-old Rose McLaughlin from Buncrana, Co. Donegal (account by her two daughters) that is now on the website. John advised people who have been wronged by the legal system to have the courage to ‘truthfully’ write down their stories and send them to the website. He asked those present to read the material on the website and especially to see the ‘cluster-map’ which represents the worldwide extent of interest in the legal corruption related to Ireland.

• Joe Ferris referred each person attending the meeting to their individual copy of a print-out from ‘Rate Your Solicitor’, which indicated that in a 24 hour period 12/9/07 to 13/9/07 there had been 3,315 hits on the website, which proves the intensity of ‘world-wide’ interest and the importance of this vehicle to expose corruption.

• An audience member asked for information with regard to ‘conflict of interest’. This related to a lengthy legal case involving family owned land and there was significant ‘conflict of interest’ between solicitors acting for both sides, solicitors mentioning regarding important contacts within Land Registry, Belfast and a particular Judge who displayed incredible bias.

• John Gill explained to the meeting about the need for members of the VLPS to consult important sources of legal information such as Murdoch’s Dictionary of Irish Law, so that VLPS members can hold solicitors, barristers and judges to account for their decisions. In the case of judges, he explained the bias against lay-litigants is incredible and to such an extent that VLPS members can only have justice if they can bring their cases before a jury. He mentioned the incredible experience of Donal Rogers, when the President of the High Court Judge Johnson ‘ROARED’ at Donal Rogers in a most inhuman manner not befitting anyone, never mind a High Court judge and President of the High Court, totally unacceptable behaviour for someone with the responsibility for dispensing ‘JUSTICE’.

• A member of the audience outlined that it is his belief that over 90% of the average population ‘DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE’. An example given is that a member of the public is ‘READ THEIR RIGHTS’ by a member of the police force. A similar ‘SET OF RIGHTS’ should be available for a person who is talking with a solicitor, who is also an ‘Officer of the Court’. If a person is thinking of becoming a driver they can take driving lessons and can consult the ‘highway code’. When it comes to the ‘broader masses’ the VLPS should as part of the campaign devise a ‘set of rules’ for all dealings with solicitors, barristers and all legal matters.

• Donal Rogers replied to this and explained that the VLPS advise to ‘ALWAYS HAVE A WITNESS WITH YOU WHEN HAVING ANY DEALINGS WITH A SOLICITOR OR OTHER LEGAL PROFESSIONALS’.

• A member of the audience stated that all solicitors should be asked for a copy of their ‘code of conduct’. If the solicitor refuses to provide a copy of their ‘code of conduct’, it is important to insist on getting a copy.

• A member of the audience stated that it is important for everyone to remember that in all dealings with solicitors that ‘solicitors are all on the one track to screw as much money out of you as possible’. People need to know ‘HOW TO SURVIVE AND KNOW WHEN YOUR SOLICITOR IS NOT REPRESENTING YOU IN GOOD TIME’.

• A member of the audience stated that from day one ‘YOUR SOLICITOR IS CORRESPONDING WITH THE OTHER SIDE ALL THE TIME’.

• John Gill explained that from having been involved with the VLPS for a number of years the estimate is that over 80% of the population have been ‘GUTTED BY THEIR SOLICITOR’. It is only now with the website and the VLPS meetings that people are finding the courage to speak out. We need to get every case on the website.

• A member of the audience stated a belief that solicitors and barristers are adept at a type of ‘PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE OF TALKING YOU OUT OF YOUR CASE’. It is very important to talk to a solicitor in a proper ‘ASSERTIVE MANNER’ so that they get the message that you expect a proper professional service.

• A member of the audience stated that they had discovered a ‘too cosy relationship’ between the Land Registry in Belfast and Solicitors.

• Joe Ferris stated his concerns regarding the Land Registry in Belfast and that James Gibson, now Deputy Registrar had stated in 1997 ‘that he (James Gibson) accepted that there was fraudulent practice in the registration of the Ferris ancestral home Folio 2974 in 1994’. This statement was provided to Joe Ferris, (Charles Ferris senior, now deceased) and Charles Ferris junior. James Gibson is now denying having expressed this statement.

• Joe Ferris explained that three members of the Land Registry in Dublin had been found guilty of corruption involving a law firm in Dublin and had been given community service orders, this fact was reported in daily newspapers.

• A member of the audience stated that a member of staff employed in the Land Registry, Belfast had stated, ‘THAT PARTICULAR SOLICITOR PAYS WELL’.

• A member of the audience asked for advice on how to obtain their legal file when they were in dispute with their solicitor and refusing to pay for work not done properly.

• Panel members advised to sue for negligence and obtain your legal files and John Gill briefly explained the case of Robert Rowe successfully getting a ‘High Court agreement’ for obtaining his legal files and copies of a family law legal file.

• A member of the audience stated that he was being asked by his solicitor and barrister to ‘SIGN A DISCLAIMER THAT BOTH SOLICITOR AND BARRISTER WILL NOT BE SUED FOR NEGLIGENCE’ before they will undertake representation in a court hearing.

• Donal Rogers advised this person to meet with members of the panel afterwards regarding this specific matter and also asked that anyone in the audience that was unable to speak about their case to come forward and speak with someone after the meeting.

• A member of the audience spoke regarding his own case involving an imposed ‘curfew’ because he had reported a member of the Gardai for drunken driving. He expressed that people should attend meetings and that even listening to other people’s legal difficulties is good and gives you hope and also you realise you are not on your own, get members to support one another.

• A member of the audience stated that his solicitor and barrister had refused to discuss his legal case because of him having a witness with him, so he doesn’t know what to do. Suggestions made were to consider ‘representing himself’ and if not able to do so ‘seek out a solicitor that is willing to meet him and his witness’.

• A member of the audience stated that the Land Registry in Dublin was not cleaned up as an application for registration of land accepted in July 2007 as likely to be processed within a few weeks and that a land certificate that was held illegally by a solicitor not involved in the application, ‘WOULD BE CANCELLED’ and the application would be completed promptly was now not happening as specified.

• John Gill stated that there might be a need for ‘a peaceful demonstration at the Land Registry in Dublin’ if valid applications for registration by members of the VLPS are not being processed in accordance with Land Registry Rules.

• A member of the audience stated that there is a need to get on top of the situation. One way is to get more politicians on board. A particular councillor in the Omagh area had expressed a lot of interest in his case, but it would be better if 2000 people would come forward and lobby for political action to modernise the legal system so that the individual’s rights are better protected.

• John Gill stated that it has been difficult in the 26 counties of Ireland to get politicians interested, but in Northern Ireland it might be more productive. Still everyone should have the courage of Eileen McLaughlin and get their stories written down and send them to the website, the local papers will not publish any of our stories in the detail that is needed as contained in the affidavits on the website.

• Elva Gallagher provided an update to the meeting regarding the success of Eileen McLaughlin in getting her money out of the Allied Irish Bank in Buncrana as the Bank Manager had initially refused to do so on stating that he needed to have directions from Solicitor Gerard Doyle.

• John Gill stated that an international television crew was meeting VLPS members in Tullamore at 10.30am on Saturday 15th September 2007 and any members interested should make arrangements after the meeting.

• A member of the audience stated that the ‘Prime Time’ programme did not include any contact numbers and this is important for people to make contact for support.