SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 1986
IT ALSO HAD THE TASK OF CONSIDERING THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS AFFECTING HONG KONG.
THERE WERE 313 MULTILATERAL TREATIES AND AGREEMENTS AND 217 BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WHICH APPLIED TO HONG KONG.
WORK WOULD HAVE TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP TO EXAMINE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE AGREEMENTS TO DECIDE HOW BEST ITS VALUE COULD BE PRESERVED AFTER CHANGE OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997, HE SAID.
ELABORATING, MR THOMAS SAID: +EACH WILL HAVE TO BE EXAMINED TO SEE WHETHER THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR IT TO APPLY TO AN SAR OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC. THE WORK WILL INVOLVE CONSULTATION WITH THE OTHER COUNTRIES WHO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE AGREEMENTS SINCE THEY MAY WISH TO VARY THEIR TERMS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR APPLICATION TO HONG KONG IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE CHANGE OF SOVEREIGNTY.+
THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN MUCH PRELIMINARY WORK DONE IN HIS CHAMBERS TO GATHER TOGETHER THE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND TO REVIEW THEM, AND HE EXPECTED THIS WORK TO CONTINUE TO ASSIST THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IN CARRYING OUT THE IR TASKS,
+THERE IS NO DISPUTE BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS ABOUT THE GENERAL OBJECTIVE, FOR IT IS PROVIDED THAT THE HONG KONG SAR CAN MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP ITS RELATIONS AND CONCLUDE AND IMPLEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH STATES, REGIONS AND RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS IN THE APPROPRIATE FIELDS, INCLUDING THE ECONOMIC, TRADE, FINANCIAL AND MONETARY, SHIPPING, COMMUNICATIONS, TOURISM, CULTURAL AND SPORTING FIELDS, HE SAID.
MENTIONING THAT THERE WAS AN INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF HONG KONG CHINESE LAWYERS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE, HE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ONE OF RETENTION.
MANY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CIVIL SERVANTS WERE AWARDED LEGAL SCHOLARSHIPS WHICH ENABLED THEM TO BECOME TRAINED AS LAWYERS AT THE EXPENSE OF GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.
+THEY COME TO US FOR THEIR INITIAL TRAINING, BUT, ALL TOO OFTEN, THEY LEAVE US WITHIN A SHORT TIME IN SEARCH OF THE LUSHER PASTURES IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, + MR THOMAS ADDED.
WHILE COMPETITION WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR COULD NOT BE ELIMINATED, HE WAS HOPEFUL THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD, IN FUTURE, BE ABLE TO ATTRACT MORE HONG KONG CHINESE LAWYERS TO SERVE BOTH HIS CHAMBERS AND WITH THE JUDICIARY AND GOVERNMENT GENERALLY, MR THOMAS SAID.
THE TASK, MR THOMAS SAID, HAD TO BE TO PRESERVE THE BEST FEATURES OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM.
+ IF WE DO THAT, I AM SURE HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY AFTER 1997 ALL THOSE ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ADVANTAGES TO WHICH BRITAIN AND CHINA HAVE ATTACHED SO MUCH IMPORTANCE IN THE JOINT DECLARATION,+ MR THOMAS SAID.
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