A.
INTRODUCTION
1.
In
lawyers.
1988, the Government made two proposals in relation to foreign
The first was that a statutory Scheme to regulate the admission and legal practice of foreign lawyers in Hong Kong should replace the current informal arrangements operated by means of undertakings and immigration control. The second was that foreign lawyers should be permitted to employ or take into partnership Hong
Hong Kong solicitors and thereby practise Hong Kong law.
At that time, the Law Society supported the first proposal but rejected the second.
2. Subsequent to its rejection of the Government's second proposal, a number of meetings took place between members of the Council and Government, and Government undertook extensive consultations with other interested parties, issuing a consultation document to the public in 1989. Following completion of the consultation process, the Government decided that it would not press further its view that foreign law firms should be permitted to
solicitors
proposal.
employ or take into partnership Hong Kong and accordingly dropped its second The Council was informed of this decision
formally in July 1990.
3.
In
announcing its decision, the Government indicated that it proposed to adopt arrangements under which foreign law firms and Hong Kong law firms would be able share fees and to introduce a scheme of accreditation allowing
qualified foreign
to
suitably
lawyers to qualify as Hong Kong solicitors.
these
Both of
measures were suggested to Government by the Law Society as part of its Compromise Proposal put forward
in 1989.
1
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