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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1989

BILL A FIRST STEP IN LOCALISATION OF LAWS PROGRAMME

COURT THE SUPREME

(AMENDMENT} BILL 1988 IS A FIRST STEP ATTORNEY GENERAL, FORWARD IN THE LOCALISATION OF LAWS PROGRAMME, THE THE HON JEREMY MATHEWS, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL,

MATHEWS SAID THIS BILL MARKED THE START OF A PROGRAMME OF LEGISLATION AIMED AT

ORDINANCES REPLACING WITH HONG KONG

THE EXTENSIVE BODY OF

OF UNITED KINGDOM ENACTMENTS WHICH APPLIED TO HONG KONG AND WERE CONSEQUENTLY PART OF OUR LAW.

HE SAID THAT MUCH OF THE PRESENT LAW RELATING TO MERCHANT

COPYRIGHT AND SHIPPING, CIVIL AVIATION,

PATENTS WAS CONTAINED IN UNITED KINGDOM ENACTMENTS APPLYING TO HONG KONG.

"THESE UNITED KINGDOM ENACTMENTS CANNOT REMAIN PART OF OUR AFTER 1997 AS THIS WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE STATUS OF HONG AS A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC AND WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION.

LAW

KONG

OF

CHINA

"STEPS MUST THEREFORE BE TAKEN NEED TO CONTINUE BEYOND 1997 WITH OUR SAID.

ΤΟ OWN

LEGISLATION,

COURT

( AMENDMENT)

REPLACE THOSE WHICH WILL MR MATHEWS

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID THE SUPREME 1988 WAS A SMALL BUT USEFUL BILL THAT STARTED THE FORMIDABLE LAW REPLACEMENT.

BILL TASK OF

MR MATHEWS SAID THE JURISDICTION OF THE HIGH COURT IN RELATION TO ADMIRALTY MATTERS WAS AT PRESENT CONTAINED IN CERTAIN UNITED KINGDOM ENACTMENTS WHICH APPLIED OR HAD BEEN EXTENDED TO HONG KONG.

FOR IT

"THIS JURISDICTION IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG

FOR RECOGNISES AND COMPLEMENTS HONG KONG'S POSITION AS A MAJOR CENTRE

AND SHIP MANAGEMENT AND AS SHIPPING, SHIP-OWNING

A FORUM WHERE

BE RESOLVED SHIPPING DISPUTES CAN

THROUGH OUR

USING COURTS,

THE

SERVICES OF HIGHLY EXPERIENCED

AND LAWYERS SPECIALISING IN MARITIME LAW.

JUDGES

"CLEARLY, THE HIGH COURT'S JURISDICTION OVER MARITIME DISPUTES MUST CONTINUE BEYOND 1997.

**THE PURPOSE OF THIS BILL IS TO AMEND THE SUPREME COURT ORDINANCE SO THAT THE CIVIL JURISDICTION OF THE HIGH COURT IN RELATION TO ADMIRALTY MATTERS IS SPECIFIED IN THAT ORDINANCE AND TO

OF OUR REPEAL, SO FAR AS THEY ARE PART

ENACTMENTS FROM WHICH THE

LAW, THOSE UNITED KINGDOM

HIGH COURT'S PRESENT ADMIRALTY JURISDICTION IS DERIVED, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL EXPLAINED.

/HE POINTED

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