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WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986
+TO MAKE LAWS IN HONG KONG IN CHINESE IS NOT MERELY TO HAVE AN AUTHENTIC VERSION OF THE LEGISLATION IN CHINESE# IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE CONCEPTS OF LAW IN CHINESE AS WELL, HE SAID.
REFERRING TO LAW REPORT PRECEDENTS AND COURT RULES AND PRACTICE, MR TAI SAID ALL THESE FORMED AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND THEREIN LAY PROBLEMS WHICH THE DISCUSSION PAPER FAILED TO ADDRESS, DUE TO THE LIMITED SCOPE OF THE STUDY.
MR TAI SAID THE OTHER POINT WHICH THE PAPER FAILED TO CONSIDER WAS THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
POINTING OUT THAT LOCAL LEGAL PRACTITIONERS AND JUDGES HAD ALL BEEN TRAINED TO PRACTISE LAW IN ENGLISH, HE SAID THE MERE FACT THAT MANY OF THEM DID SPEAK CHINESE DID NOT RENDER THEM EFFECTIVE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE.
+THEREFORE, WE MUST ALSO DIRECT OUR ATTENTION TO WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE BILINGUAL LEGAL EDUCATION AND A BILINGUAL JUDICIARY, AND THE TIME FOR THEIR IMPLEMENTATION,+ HE SAID.
HE SUGGESTED THAT WHILE CHINESE WOULD ULTIMATELY BECOME THE OFFICIAL JUDICIAL LANGUAGE IN HONG KONG, PREPARATION FOR ITS REALISATION SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE PROPOSED BILINGUAL LAWS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
MR TAI SUPPORTED THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON SPEEDING UP THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING BILINGUAL LAWS.
HE BELIEVED THAT TO MAKE LAWS GOVERNING HONG KONG IN CHINESE WOULD NOT ONLY LOWER THE INSTANCES OF INJUSTICE RESULTING FROM IGNORANCE OF EXISTING LAWS BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE PROBLEM, BUT WOULD ALSO FACILITATE THE PRACTICAL DISSEMINATION OF LEGAL KNOWLEDGE AMONG THE PUBLIC.
HE ADDED THAT THE POLICY ALSO DEMONSTRATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS RESOLUTE IN PREPARING FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 AS THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION STATED THAT +IN ADDITION TO CHINESE, ENGLISH MAY ALSO BE USED IN ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT AND IN THE COURTS OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.
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