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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
only improvements in the quality of service, but also more effective deployment of staff as well as significant savings in resources.
The government attaches great importance to the training of the public servants to improve their operational efficiency, to prepare them for new challenges and higher responsibilities and to meet the developing manpower requirements of the service. The bulk of the training is carried out locally under the co-ordination of the Civil Service Training Centre. The centre organises management and language skills training, and provides advice and assistance to departments on training matters. The centre also administers the Government Training Scholarship Scheme and various overseas training programmes.
A series of courses designed to prepare mid-career officers for senior management responsibilities continues to be conducted under the auspices of the Senior Staff Course Advisory Board. Each course lasts for 12 weeks and has up to 40 participants, including a few from the private sector. Since the inception of the programme in September 1984, over 200 participants have attended the courses.
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Language
The official languages of Hong Kong are English and Chinese. While the former is used by the expatriate community and in commercial, financial and professional circles, it is also widely understood by the local population whose mother tongue is Chinese. The majority of the local Chinese community speak Cantonese, a South China dialect, and interest in learning to speak Putonghua (Mandarin) is gaining momentum as closer ties with China are being developed. Laws are at present enacted in English, and Chinese translations of selected pieces of legislation are available for reference by the public. Plans are being made to have the laws enacted in both English and Chinese.
The Legal System
Law in Hong Kong
Generally, the law of Hong Kong follows that of England and Wales. The Application of English Law Ordinance was passed in 1966 to declare the extent to which English law is in force in the territory. Section 3 provides that the common law of England and the rules of equity shall be in force in Hong Kong so far as they are applicable to the circumstances of Hong Kong or its inhabitants subject to such modifications as such circumstances may require.
Additionally, the ordinance applies some English Acts to Hong Kong, such as the Justices of the Peace Act of 1361 and the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679.
On occasions, English laws are applied to Hong Kong either directly or by order of Her Majesty in Council, the power to make all such law as may appear necessary for the peace, order and good government of the territory being expressly preserved by Article IX of the Letters Patent. In practice, this is largely confined to matters which have a bearing on Hong Kong's international position. For example, the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order 1977 is an Order in Council applying provisions of civil aviation treaties, to which the United Kingdom is a party, to the United Kingdom's overseas territories, including Hong Kong.
In order to ensure that by 1997 Hong Kong possesses a comprehensive body of law which owes its authority to the Legislature of Hong Kong, it will be necessary to replace such English laws by local legislation on the same topics. A legislative programme has therefore been adopted by the Hong Kong Government to disapply English laws applying