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THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1987
ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED CHANGE FROM THREE TO FOUR YEARS OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, SIR DAVID SAID THESE THINGS HAD BEEN LOOKED AT BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION, AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD WAIT FOR A FULL CONSIDERATION AND REPORT BEFORE MAKING UP ITS MIND.
»ON AN 18SUE LIKE THIS, WHICH YOU KNOW IS A VERY COMPLICATED OKE, REQUIRES A LOT OF RESEARCH BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT REACHES A DECISION. I WOULDN'T DARE TO GIVE A PERSONAL OPINION ON SUCH A COMPLEX SUBJECT, ON WHICH SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE ARGUED FOR SO LONG. I SHALL WAIT FOR THE REPORT+.
SIR DAVID SAID HE DID NOT KNOW THE PRECISE TIMING OF THE REPORT AND WOULD WAIT UNTIL THE REPORT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT.
IMPORTANCE OF COMMON LAW STRESSED ****
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION IS THE BROAD COMMITMENT TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE LAWS IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING.
SPEAKING AT A DINNER OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG SOUTH DISTRICT 345, MR THOMAS SAID, +OF THESE, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IS THE SPECIFIC GUARANTEE THAT THE COMMON LAW WILL CONTINUE TO BE PART OF THE LAWS OF HONG KONG+,
HE SAID THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT PROVISION FOR THREE MAIN REASONS. +FIRST, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WILL THEREBY INHERIT PERHAPS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED AND COMPREHENSIVE BODY OF LAW KNOWN TO MAN+.
MR THOMAS EXPLAINED THAT THE COMMON LAW CONSISTS OF THE PRINTED REPORTS OF JUDGEMENTS AND DECISIONS OF THE HIGHER COURTS IN ENGLAND, HONG KONG AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE THE COMMON LAW HAS TAKEN ROOT, STRETCHING BACK OVER LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
+BECAUSE THE COMMON LAW SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH, THERE ARE NOW HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF REPORTED CASES FROM DEVELOPER SYSTEMS WITH DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS WHICH ESTABLISH IN SPECIFIC CASES THE LEGAL PRINCIPLES THAT REGULATE THE VARIOUS RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THOSE WHO ARE GOVERNED, AND BETWEEN ONE INDIVIDUAL AND ANOTHER, HE SAID.
/+IN ALL