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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1984
ON TREATIES, MULTILATERAL AND BILATERAL AGREEMENTS, HE SAID: +BOTH THOSE NOW IN FORCE AND THOSE TO BE MADE WILL HAVE TO BE SCRUTINISED TO ENSURE THEY ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE IN FORCE BEYOND 1997 WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE OTHER PARTIES, NOTWITHSTANDING THE CHANGE OF FLAG.+
THERE WOULD BE MUCH ADVANTAGE, SAID MR THOMAS, IF SOME PARTS OF THE COMMON LAW THAT ARE PRESENTLY FROM THE REPORTS OF JUDICIAL DECISIONS COULD BE CODIFIED IN CLEAR AND SYSTEMATIC TERMS - PARTICULARLY THOSE WHICH MOST CONCERN ORDINARY PEOPLE. THE TASK IS A MASSIVE ONE AND A PILOT STUDY IS NOW UNDERWAY OF THE RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS OF CODIFICATION OF TWO AREAS OF THE LAW LAWS RELATING TO BAIL AND THE CUSTODY OF CHILDREN IN MATRIMONIAL CASES.
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+ IN ADDITION WE ARE FACED WITH THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO IMPLEMENT THE FORTHCOMING PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WHICH IN TURN WILL REQUIRE CHANGES IN THE LETTERS PATENT AND ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS, + HE SAID.
* ON THE USE OF CHINESE LANGUAGE IN THE COURTS AND LEGISLATION, MR THOMAS MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
MR THOMAS SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN CALLS FOR GREATER USE OF CHINESE IN COURTS AND RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING PREDOMINANTLY CHINESE JURORS WHERE CHINESE DEFENDANTS ARE CHARGED.
+THESE POINTS MAKE GOOD SENSE AND THEY WILL BE FULLY CONSIDERED BY GOVERNMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE JUDICIARY, + HE SAID.
ALTHOUGH ENGLISH MUST RETAIN ITS PLACE, PARTICULARLY IN OUR HIGHER COURTS, HE SAID: THE CHINESE LANGUAGE SHOULD HAVE EQUAL STATUS WITH ENGLISH IN LEGISLATION AND BOTH TEXTS SHOULD BE EQUALLY AUTHENTIC IN OUR COURTS.+
MR THOMAS SAID THAT, THOUGH THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENORMOUS WORKLOAD INVOLVED IN TRANSLATING EXISTING AND NEW LEGISLATION, A PROGRAMME AIMED AT THE ENACTMENT OF ALL FUTURE LEGISLATION IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE WAS NOW BEING PUT TOGETHER IN HIS CHAMBERS.
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THERE WERE TWO APPROACHES THAT COULD BE FOLLOWED TRANSLATING ENGLISH ORIGINAL TEXTS OR PRODUCING LAW IN CHINESE.
+1 AM CONVINCED THAT THE WAY TOWARDS PROGRESS IN A REASONABLY EXPEDITIOUS AND SYSTEMATIC WAY IS TO START WITH TRANSLATION AND GRADUALLY, WITH THE BENEFIT OF EXPERIENCE, MOVE ON TO THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE OF DRAFTING ALL NEW LEGISLATION IN ORIGINAL CHINESE VERSIONS AS WELL AS ORIGINAL ENGLISH VERSIONS.+
/ARRANGEMENTS ARE