7
MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1988
RESPONSIBILITY
-
PUBLIC
OF PROTECTING FAITH IN
THE
THE
FAIR
"BUT THEY DO HAVE THE ESSENTIAL FEATURE OF ANY LEGAL SYSTEM TRIAL OF THE DISPUTES THAT COME BEFORE THE COURTS AND IN THE IMPARTIALITY OF JUDGMENTS DELIVERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW,
"
"HONG KONG HAS FAITH IN THE JUDGES OF TODAY BECAUSE THOSE WHO "AME BEFORE THEM WERE SCRUPULOUS IN THE DISCHARGE OF THEIR FUNCTIONS,
IE SAID.
EARLIER IN HIS SPEECH, MR THOMAS SAID ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY THE DRAFT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS WIDELY ACCLAIMED AND WELCOMED IN LATE 1984 WAS BECAUSE OF THE DETAILED ASSURANCES IT CONTAINED ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG'S LEGAL AND JUDICIAL SYSTEMS, AND THE SPECIFIC REFERENCES IT MADE TO THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY, TO THE PART PLAYED BY THE LAWYERS AND THE LEGAL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES ENJOYED BY HONG KONG'S PEOPLE.
"AND SINCE THAT DAY, THE LEGAL PROFESSIONS HAVE BEEN DEEPLY INVOLVED IN TRYING TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF TRANSITION THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO THE FAITHFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PART OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, HE SAID.
"
AFTER GIVING A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF SOME OF THE TASKS THEY HAD TACKLED, MR THOMAS SAID: "THIS IS ALL WORK FOR THE BENEFIT OF HONG KONG AS A WHOLE - WORK NEEDED TO ACHIEVE A SMOOTH AND SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION AND WORK DONE UNPAID AND OUT OF HOURS BY BUSY LAWYERS FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE."
-
-
HE ADDED THAT THEY WORKED NOW TO SEE THAT THE FUTURE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION INHERITED A SOUND AND VIGOROUS LEGAL SYSTEM.
SAID.
"AND SO TOO DO THOSE IN THE ATTORNEY
"
GENERAL'S CHAMBERS, HE
-
"WE NOW HAVE NEARLY 100 LOCAL LAWYERS IN CHAMBERS MORE THAN EVER BEFORE AND THEIR PROSPECTS OF PROMOTION HAVE NEVER BEEN BETTER.
"WE ARE LOCKED IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THOSE TWIN JANITORS OF THE ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE BRANCH AND CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH, SEEKING THEIR AGREEMENT TO IMPLEMENT THE MANY IDEAS THAT THE LAW OFFICERS HAVE PUT FORWARD TO RETAIN AND MOTIVATE LOCAL COUNSEL.'
HE SAID HE WAS ALSO AWAITING THE REPORT OF A WORK ING GROUP WHICH HE APPOINTED IN LAST OCTOBER TO STUDY THE TRAINING OF LOCAL COUNSEL IN CHAMBERS.
MR THOMAS THEN DESCRIBED SOME OF THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION.
.
"80 THE LAWYERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, LIKE THEIR COLLEAGUES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, ARE WORKING TODAY FOR HONG KONG'S TOMORROW, HE SAID.
/8