THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1988
PROPOSALS ON FOREIGN LAW FIRMS WILL IMPROVE RANGE OF SERVICES
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR JEREMY MATHEWS, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY PROPOSALS ON FOREIGN LAW FIRMS WILL IMPROVE THE RANGE OF LEGAL SERVICES AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG.
THEY WILL ALSO PROVIDE INCREASED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR HONG KONG SOLICITORS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL FIELD, HE SAID.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WAS SPEAKING ON THE COMMERCIAL LAW ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG AT THE LAWASIA INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONFERENCE 1988 THIS MORNING.
ON THE ISSUE OF FOREIGN LAWYERS, MR MATHEWS TOLD THE DELEGATES THAT AS WELL AS HAVING LOCAL LAWYERS OF EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY, COMPETENCE AND EXPERIENCE, HONG KONG ALSO ALLOWED FOREIGN LAWYERS AND LAW FIRMS TO OPERATE HERE.
FIRMS FROM SWEDEN, WEST GERMANY, FRANCE, CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES WERE REPRESENTED HERE.
HE SAID FOREIGN LAWYERS HAD BEEN PERMITTED TO PRACTISE IN HONG KONG SINCE THE EARLY 1970'S.
HOWEVER, THEIR ADMISSION TO HONG KONG HAD ONLY BEEN REGULATED BY A LOOSE ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENT OPERATED BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE LAW SOCIETY.
"THIS ARRANGEMENT HAS NO LEGISLATIVE BACKING AND CLEARLY LAID DOWN CRITERIA, HE SAID.
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MR MATHEWS EXPLAINED THAT AS A RESULT OF A RECENT REVIEW BY THE GOVERNMENT, IT HAD BEEN PROPOSED THAT A STATUTORY SCHEME UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE BE DEVISED TO REGULATE THE ADMISSION OF FOREIGN LAWYERS TO HONG KONG.
"THE PROPOSAL WILL RESULT IN CLEAR CRITERIA BEING FORMULATED FOR THE ADMISSION OF FOREIGN LAW FIRMS INTO HONG KONG AND WILL PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE CHECK ON BOTH THE QUALITY AND NUMBER OF FOREIGN LAW FIRMS PERMITTED TO PRACTISE HERE, HE SAID.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID THAT GOVERNMENT ALSO CONSIDERED WHETHER PERMITTED TO EMPLOY OR TAKE INTO SOLICITORS TO PRACTISE HONG KONG LAW.
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AS PART OF THE REVIEW, THE FOREIGN LAW FIRMS SHOULD BE PARTNERSHIP LOCALLY QUALIFIED
/"IN DECIDING