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WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986
HE SAID THE TASKS OF DRAFTING BILLS BILINGUALLY AND TRANSLATING EXISTING ORDINANCES INTO CHINESE WERE OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE, BUT HE SAID HE REGRETTED THAT NO SPECIFIC TIMETABLE FOR THE BILINGUAL LAWS PROJECT HAD BEEN STATED IN THE DISCUSSION PAPER.
+THIS NOT ONLY FAILS TO MEET THE PUBLIC'S PRESSING DEMAND FOR EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BILINGUAL LAWS SYSTEM, BUT ALSO REFLECTS THAT BOTH THE CHINESE LANGUAGE DIVISION AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT ARE EXTREMELY SHORT OF TRANSLATION TALENTS,+ MR YEUNG SAID.
HE THEREFORE CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO ENSURE THE PROGRESS WOULD NOT BE SLOWED DOWN, AND SUGGESTED THAT THE TRAINING OF CHINESE LEGAL TALENTS SHOULD BE
DEVELOPED IN POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS.
IN THE MEANTIME, IN ORDER TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM OF MANPOWER SHORTAGE AND EXPEDITE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT, GOVERNMENT CAN CONSIDER TAKING MEASURES IN CO-OPERATION" WITH PROFESSIONAL LEGAL GROUPS WITH A VIEW TO ATTRACTING MORE LAWYERS TO SPECIFICALLY TAKE PART IN THE TASK, + MR YEUNG SAID.
ON THE OTHER HAND, GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER EMPLOYING FROM OUTSIDE HONG KONG EXPERIENCED CHINESE LEGAL EXPERTS AND SCHOLARS TO ASSIST IN THE DRAFTING WORK BY OFFERING THEM LUCRATIVE CONTRACTS, HE ADDED.
MR YEUNG STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCALISATION OF MAGISTRATES, NOTING THAT THERE MUST BE SUFFICIENT LOCAL JUDICIAL PERSONNEL WELL-VERSED IN CHINESE TO IMPLEMENT THE BILINGUAL LAWS.
+ IN FUTURE THE COURTS SHOULD ALSO ADOPT THE BILINGUAL SYSTEM PROGRESSIVELY, HE SAID.
INFORMAL CONSULTATION WITH CHINA +MORE PRACTICAL+
*****
INFORMAL RATHER THAN FORMAL CONSULTATION WITH CHINA ON THE LAWS IN CHINESE FOR HONG KONG WOULD BE A MORE PRACTICAL APPROACH AT THE PRESENT STAGE, THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING DURING THE DEBATE ON THE DISCUSSION PAPER ON THE LAWS IN CHINESE, MR CHEONG-LEEN NOTED THAT CHINA WAS CURRENTLY SEEKING TO MODERNISE AND UP-DATE HER LEGAL SYSTEM AND STATUTES.
+WHAT INPUT HONG KONG GAINS FROM CHINA MUST DEPEND ENTIRELY UPON HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES, AND HONG KONG'S OWN LEGAL SYSTEM,+ HE SAID.
/▲ HONG