asked the Minister for Justice if, having regard to the necessity for Irish lawyers to have a better understanding of European legal theory, system and practices he will encourage the authorities of law schools to replace the qualification in Latin for entrance to a law school with a qualification in a modern European language; and, if not, why.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Law School Language Qualification.
16.
The answer is "No". It is not my function to suggest in what subjects candidates should qualify for entrance to our law schools.
Entrance requirements are a matter for the authorities of the law schools themselves.
Is the Minister aware that the Council of Europe has recommended that governments of member States should use their good offices to ensure that students in various countries would study the legal systems in other countries, and having regard to that recommendation, would the Government at least pass on the recommendation to the law schools to ensure that the views of the Council of Europe will be borne in mind when specifying the subjects which students should have?
Latin is the basis of the whole civil legal code which operates in Western European countries and prominent continental jurists are of opinion that the value of Latin is very important in regard to the understanding of the European civil code. I think the Deputy is on a wrong angle here. While I appreciate the fact that continental languages are important, Latin is a very basic consideration and more basic in the study of continental law than in the study of British or Irish systems.
Is the Minister aware that Latin is not a required subject in the majority of law schools on the continent?
This fact is, at the moment, coming under considerable criticism from continental jurisprudence.