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Thursday, November 29, 1973
Turning to the Labour Tribunal, the Colonial Secretary announced
that the Legislative Council would be asked in due course to approve its
cstablishment as a permanent part of the judicial structure.
The tribunal, which was initially set up until the end of 1975,
has proved
very popular during the six months it has been in operation
dealing with 563 cases
J
far more than originally estimated and about twice
the rate at which wage cases were dealt with by the District Court in recent
years.
"It is therefore apparent, from the figures alone, that the
tribunal has succeeded in obtaining the confidence of the public and that
those with claims within its jurisdiction are very willing to resort to
it," Mr. Roberts said.
Presiding Officer
It was likely, he added, that the increasing work load of the
tribunal would necessitate the appointment of an additional presiding
officer in the near future as well as additional premises.
Referring to criticism that the government was out of touch with
public opinion, the Colonial Secretary said such criticism did not take
proper account of the comprehensive network of over 100 advisory bodies on
which civil servants and members of the public sat together to formulate
advice on most matters of major importance.
These committees, he said, served as a useful bridge between the
government and the people but he conceded that too many of them had common
memberships. He felt that the field from which advice and assistance was
/sought
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