The challenges facing the legal profession against a background of upcoming changes in regulation of anti-money laundering and the countering of terrorist financing and the need for shaping legislation for the future management of the Island’s legal profession vied with consideration of smart casual instead of black tie at formal dinners as topics for the president’s address at the Isle of Man Law Society biennial dinner.

Guests at the Palace Hotel heard society president Kevin O’Riordan speak of ‘overwhelming pressure’ on a profession faced with carrying out the ‘dual and often conflicting roles of regulation…and protection and promotion’. He welcomed the contributions submitted so far on the debate, notably from larger firms, but added the cautionary note: ‘We are still very much at a crossroads.’

He said the time had come for the society, formed around 1859 and with its most recent governing legislation dating from 1995, to undergo a comprehensive review of the way in which it operates, a task which was set to be lengthy and complicated.

Mr O’Riordan paid tribute to vice-president Paul Kerruish ‘for devoting a great deal of time and energy towards helping deal with the thorny problems of the last couple of years’ and urged his audience to give ‘serious thought’ to issues facing the profession ahead of the Society’s annual general meeting in January 2015.

He went on to call for wider recognition of advocates’ valuable contribution to the Manx economy, and for a more mature and closer professional relationship between advocates, central and local government and the police in a move to work towards the greater good. ‘Essentially we are all on the same side when it comes to promoting the interests of justice and this jurisdiction,’ he said.

In summary, it appears that while the legal profession and the Isle of Man Law Society might be facing wholesale change, a straw poll of the audience revealed that black-tie dress code for future biennial dinners was not.

Photo: Andrew Barton