WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1980
+30 THE JUVENILE COURTS MUST INEVITABLY CONTINUE TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT TWO-FOLD ROLE, BOTH TO PUNISH OFFENDERS AND AT THE SAME TIME, IF POSSIBLE, TO PREVENT THE REPETITION OF OFFENCES BY YOUNG PEOPLE. TO FULFIL THESE ROLES THEY MUST BE PROPERLY STAFFED AND ACCOMMODATED, + HE SAID.
MR GRIFFITHS NOTED THAT THE JOB OF DEALING WITH JUVENILE OFFENDERS WAS A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT AND DELICATE ONE. IT REQUIRES SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INSIGHT IN THE MAGISTRATE ENTRUSTED WITH THE TASK, SO THAT THE RIGHT BLEND OF FIRMNESS AND UNDERSTANDING, OF AUTHORITY AND INFORMALITY IS ACHIEVED.✦
HOWEVER, HE SAID, THERE ARE, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, ONLY LIMITED NUMBER OF MAGISTRATES AVAILABLE WHO HAVE THE REQUIRED QUALITIES AND TEMPERAMENT SUITABLE FOR THE SPECIALISED WORK OF THE JUVENILE COURTS.
ON COURT ACCOMMODATION, MR GRIFFITHS REVEALED THAT IT WAS PROPOSED THAT AS AND WHEN NEW COURT BUILDINGS WERE BUILT, FOR INSTANCE DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR SO AT KWUNG TONG, TUEN MUN, SHA TIN AND WAN CHAI, SEPARATE JUVENILE COURT FACILITIES WOULD BE INCLUDED IN EACH,
REPLYING TO OTHER POINTS RAISED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, MR GRIFFITHS SAID A NEW DRAFT BILL ON PROPERTY LAW WAS PREPARED EARLY LAST MONTH AND SINCE THEN HAD BEEN CIRCULATING FOR COMMENTS. THE BILL REPLACED THE ONE WHICH WAS DROPPED ON THE ADVICE OF THE LAW SOCIETY THAT IT WAS LIKELY TO CAUSE CHAOS AND WOULD REQUIRE ALL SOLICITORS DOING CONVEYANCING IN HONG KONG TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH A TOTALLY NEW SYSTEM.
THE PROGRESS OF THE NEW BILL NOW DEPENDS ON THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF COMMENTS FROM VARIOUS INTERESTED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND OUTSIDE BODIES SUCH AS THE LAW SOCIETY, HE SAID.
HE ALSO DISCLOSED THAT THE FIRST DRAFT OF A NEW STAMP BILL WAS COMPLETED AND WAS NOW OUT FOR CONSULTATION.
THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION AIMS TO REMOVE THE MANY ANOMALIES PRESENTLY EXISTING IN THE LAW WITHOUT CHANGING THE PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE PRESENT ORDINANCES. +FOR THE INTENTION IS THAT THE LIABILITY TO DUTY AND THE PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH THIS IS BASED WILL REMAIN THE SAME AS AT PRESENT, HE SAID.
MR GRIFFITHS ALSO OUTLINED THE CAUSES OF SO-CALLED DELAYS IN BRINGING FORWARD LEGISLATION.
+A GROWING VOLUME OF LEGISLATION HONG KONG CERTAINLY HAS, AND THAT IS ONE THING- BUT THE TREND IN ADDITION IS TOWARDS INCREASINGLY MORE COMPLEX AND SOPHISTICATED LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR THE INCREASING COMPLEX SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS WITH WHICH WE HAVE TO DEAL.
+THIS TREND, WHICH AFFECTS THE WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT AND NOT JUST LAWYERS, PLACES INCREASING DEMANDS ON EVERYBODY'S TIME AND ABILITIES.
+MOREOVER UNLESS LIMITLESS RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE, IT ALSC MECESSITATES A BALANCING OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES AGAINST COMPETING NEEDS, HE SAID.
MR GRIFFITHS