ADMINISTRATION
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Committee, on which all the unofficial members sit. Procedure is based on that of the House of Commons.
The membership of the Executive and Legislative Councils is given in Appendix XV.
Judiciary
The Common Law and Statutes of England as they existed in that country on 5 April 1843, except where in- applicable to local circumstances, form the basis of the legal system of Hong Kong. They have been extended and modified by the application to the Colony of certain subsequent enactments and by Hong Kong Ordinances, of which a new edition, revised in 1950, was published in 1951. The courts of the Colony are described in the chapter on Law and Order.
Administration
Under the general direction of the Colonial Secretary, the administrative functions of Government are discharged by some thirty Departments, all the officers of which are members of the Civil Service.
The Colonial Secretariat, under the general adminis- trative control of the Deputy Colonial Secretary, coordinates the work of Departments, and takes, or transmits from the Governor or Colonial Secretary, all general policy decisions. The Secretariat consists of four divisions, dealing with general administration, finance, defence, and government personnel. The Financial Secretary is responsible for financial and economic policy; the Defence Secretary advises on defence, coordinates the work of the Local Forces described in Chapter 17, and acts as the main channel of communication between Government and the Armed Forces. The Secretariat includes a Political Adviser, seconded from the Foreign Office.
The Government's principal legal adviser is the Attorney- General, head of the Legal Department, who is responsible for drafting legislation, and for instituting and conducting public prosecutions. Members of the Department include the Solicitor-General and several Crown Counsel.
The Departments of Police and Prisons, each under a Commissioner, are described in the chapter on Law and Order.