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VHMRIDAY, JULY 239 184
A HONG KONG GLOSSARY OF LEGAL TERMS, HE ADDED, WOULD BE AN INVALUABLE AID IN PROMOTING CLOSER EXCHANGES ON THE LEGAL SYSTEMS OF CHINA AND HONG KONG.
MR CHEONG-LEEN ENDORSED THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THERE SHOULD BE A COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS WITH LEGAL AND LANGUAGE BACKGROUND TO ADVISE A SPECIAL COMMISSIONER IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS WHO WOULD CO-ORDINATE THE ENTIRE TRANSLATION PROGRAMME OF THE LAWS IN CHINESE.
+IN ADDITION, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MAY SEE POINT TO APPROVE A COMMITTEE TO GENERALLY MONITOR AND KEEP AN OVERSIGHT OF THE PROGRESS MADE, HE SUGGESTED.
MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THAT IT WAS HIGHLY DESIRABLE THAT THERE SHOULD BE HARMONISATION OF STYLES BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH VERSIONS, ESPECIALLY AS REGARDED TERMINOLOGY AND FORMULATION.
WHILE AGREEING WITH THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CHINESE TEXT SHOULD BE IN GOOD, MODERN AND EDUCATED CHINESE, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID SIMILAR REQUIREMENT SHOULD ALSO APPLY TO THE ENGLISH TEXT.
+ IT IS VERY DESIRABLE TOO THAT ALL IMPORTANT STATUTES EXISTING IN ARCHAIC ENGLISH SHOULD BE RE-DRAFTED IN GOOD, MODERN, EDUCATED ENGLISH WITH AN AUTHENTIC CHINESE VERSION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,+ HE ADDED.
AS TO THE ACTUAL DRAFTING OF NEW BILLS, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID HE FAVOURED THE PARALLEL APPROACH WHEREBY BOTH AN +ANGLOPHONE+ LAW DRAFTSMAN AND A +SINOPHONE+ LAW DRAFTSMAN WOULD WORK TOGETHER ON THE DRAFTING OF EACH BILL.
+THIS APPROACH WOULD ENSURE THAT BOTH VERSIONS WOULD BE REASONABLY COMPATIBLE AND AUTHENTIC, AND CONFORMING AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE INTENTION OF THE LEGISLATURE, HE SAID.
FINALLY, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THAT IF THE RULE OF LAW IN HONG KONG WAS TO BE PRESERVED AND STRENGTHENED AND HONG KONG'S COMMON LAW LINK WITH THE REST OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD BE MAINTAINED, THE INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY OF THE HONG KONG JUDICIARY MUST BE UPHELD.
+AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY AND THE RULE OF LAW WILL GIVE HONG KONG PEOPLE PROTECTION AGAINST THEIR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS BEING ERODED, AND AGAINST THE EXECUTIVE FROM MAKING UNWARRANTED ENCROACHMENTS ON SUCH RIGHTS, HE SAID.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT A BILINGUAL SYSTEM OF LAWS FOR HONG KONG +WILL GIVE US A UNIQUE STATUS IN THE HISTORY OF CHINESE CIVILISATION WHEREBY HONG KONG WILL BECOME EVEN MORE OF A CULTURAL BRIDGE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD IN PARTICULAR,+
MR CHEONG-LEEN ADDED THAT CHINA WOULD HAVE MUCH TO GAIN FROM A STABLE PROSPEROUS AND PROGRESSIVE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION AFTER 1997 AS LONG AS SHE KEPT HER OPEN POLICY TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
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