THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1988
22
TRIBUTES PAID TO ATTORNEY GENERAL
THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, AND THE SENIOR MEMBER, THE HON LYDIA DUNN, PAID TRIBUTE TO THE OUTGOING ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).
IT WAS THE LAST SITTING OF THE COUNCIL ΤΟ BE ATTENDED MR THOMAS.
BY
IN HIS VALEDICTORY SPEECH, SIR DAVID THANKED MR THOMAS FOR HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION NOT ONLY TO THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL BUT ALSO TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
"FEW WOULD DENY THAT THE FIVE YEARS SINCE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL JOINED THIS COUNCIL HAVE BEEN MOMENTOUS YEARS, HE SAID.
T
"NOT MANY WILL PERHAPS REALISE THE BURDEN THAT THEY HAVE PLACED ON HIM.
"IN PARTICULAR, HE MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION ΤΟ THE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH RESULTED IN THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION.
"THIS REQUIRED INTENSIVE WORK BY DAY AND, OFTEN, BY NIGHT OVER TWO GRUELLING YEARS.
"THE FINAL SHAPE OF THAT DOCUMENT OWES MUCH то HIS TIRELESS ENERGY, INCISIVENESS AND INTELLECTUAL STAMINA."
SIR DAVID SAID THE CONCLUSION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION SET IN A FORMIDABLE PROGRAMME OF WORK IN PREPARATION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION IN 1997.
TRAIN
AT ITS HEART, THIS PROGRAMME HAD INVOLVED
IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS
OF LAW.
NORMAL DUTIES OF AN
"IN ADDITION TO THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL, MICHAEL THOMAS HAS PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN GUIDING THE WORK OF HIS DEPARTMENT AND IN EXPLAINING TO THIS COUNCIL WHAT HAS BEEN AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE," HE SAID.
MR THOMAS HAD ALSO TAKEN A STRONG LEAD IN THE PROCESS OF MODERNISING AND REVISING HONG KONG'S LAWS.
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