+ FORESEE THAT IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO REMOVE FROM OUR LAWS BY 1997 REFERENCES TO THE PRESENT CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH CANNOT SURVIVE BEYOND 1997.
+REFERENCES TO COLONY' OR 'THE CROWN' OR 'THE SECRETARY
OF STATE' ARE OBVIOUS EXAMPLES OF WHAT I HAVE IN MIND. OFFENCES SUCH AS TREASON WHICH REFLECT THE BRITISH CONCEPT OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE SOVEREIGN MAY NEED TO BE CONSIDERED.
+AGAIN, DEPENDING UPON THE BASIC LAW REFERENCES IN OUR LAWS TO POSTAGE STAMPS AND COATS OF ARMS WILL DOUBTLESS NEED SOME AMENDMENT. IN RELATION TO LAND, THE POSITION OF THE CROWN AS THE PROPRIETOR OF ALL CROWN LAND WILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED.
+ IT MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR ITS TITLE IN LAND TO BE VESTED INSTEAD IN SOME CORPORATION WHICH IN ITS STYLE AND FORM WILL NOT BE INCONSISTENT WITH CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE BASIC LAW.
+OATHS AND DECLARATIONS PROVIDED UNDER THE LAW MAY ALSO NEED TO BE LOOKED AT AND PROBABLY CHANGED TO REFLECT THE NEW POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS,+ MR THOMAS SAID.
MR THOMAS SAID THAT IT WAS PROVIDED BY THE JOINT DECLARATION THAT THE POWER OF FINAL JUDGEMENT AFTER 1997 WOULD BE VESTED IN THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL IN THE HONG KONG SAR, WHICH MIGHT AS REQUIRED INVITE JUDGES FROM OTHER COMMON LAW JURISDICTIONS TO SIT ON IT.
+ IT FOLLOWS THEREFORE THAT CHANGES MUST BE MADE TO THE LAWS OF HONG KONG IN ORDER TO CONSTITUTE A FINAL COURT OF APPEAL IN A MANNER THAT IS CONSISTENT BOTH WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW, HE SAID.
HE AGREED WITH THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND OTHERS THAT IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO ESTABLISH THIS COURT OF APPEAL WELL BEFORE 1997
IN ORDER TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION,
+ IT WOULD BE MUCH TO THE ADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG IF ITS JURISDICTION AND JURISPRUDENCE COULD BE ESTABLISHED WELL BEFORE 1997 SO THAT THE AUTHORITY OF ITS JUDGEMENTS CAN BE APPRECIATED, ESPECIALLY BY THE IMPORTANT FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS INTERESTS BOTH HERE AND ABROAD, HE SAID.
AS TO THE THIRD CATEGORY OF TASKS, NAMELY THOSE WHICH WERE HIGHLY DESIRABLE GIVEN THE PROSPECT OF IMPORTANT POLITICAL CHANGES, MR THOMAS SAID IT WAS DESIRABLE THAT THE PEOPLE OF THIS TERRITORY, MOST OF THEM CHINESE SPEAKING, SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ AND UNDERSTAND IN THE IR OWN LANGUAGE THE PUBLIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW WHICH IN SO MANY RESPECTS GOVERNED THEIR LIVES AND THE IR RELATIONSHIPS IN THE IR OWN LANGUAGE.
/+WHATEVER THE