THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1991
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FOR THE MOST PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PERIOD, THE SELECTED COUNSEL WILL ACT IN TEMPORARY POSTS OF ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL CROWN COUNSEL, WHICH IS A DIRECTORATE RANK PITCHED BETWEEN THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL CROWN COUNSEL AND SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL, ΤΟ PERFORM FUNCTIONAL DUTIES OF APPROPRIATE COMPLEXITY.
MR MATHEWS SAID RESERVATIONS HAD BEEN EXPRESSED BY SOME ON THE NEED FOR SUCH A SCHEME AS OVERSEAS COUNSEL WERE ABLE TO GAIN PROMOTION WITHOUT HAVING TO UNDERGO SPECIALLY DESIGNED TRAINING, ATTACHMENT OR GROOMING.
"THE SCHEME IS NOT A PRE-REQUISITE FOR PROMOTION, IT IS MEANT TO GIVE ADDED STRENGTH TO SELECTED LOCAL COUNSEL TO ENCHANCE THEIR CHANCE OF PROMOTION. THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE POLICY TO LOCALISE," HE EXPLAINED.
IT IS
"THE DEVELOPMENT POSTS SCHEME IS A NOVEL IDEA. UNDERSTANDABLE THAT SOME LOCAL COUNSEL MAY NOT APPRECIATE THE BENEFITS THAT THE SCHEME WILL BRING.
"I HOPE THAT LOCAL COUNSEL IN CHAMBERS WILL GIVE THE SCHEME A CHANCE TO WORK. ONCE THE SCHEME STARTS WORKING, LOCAL COUNSEL WILL SEE THE SINCERITY OF THE MANAGEMENT IN LOCALISATION, COMMITTED POLICY OF THE CHAMBERS. INDEED THE WHOLE DRIVE LOCALISATION THROUGH SPECIAL MEASURES HAS BEEN INITIATED BY SENIOR OFFICERS OF THESE CHAMBERS.
"A DELAY OF THE SCHEME WILL DELAY THE PROCESS OF IT WILL ALSO BE UNFORTUNATE FOR THOSE COUNSEL WHO WOULD ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SCHEME," MR MATHEWS SAID.
WHICH IS A FOR GREATER THE MOST
LOCALISATION. OTHERWISE
BE
THE WORKING GROUP, CHAIRED BY THE SOLICITOR GENERAL, MR FRANK STOCK, AND COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE AND FINANCE BRANCHES, HAS ALSO INCLUDED DIRECT RECRUITMENT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS ONE OF ITS RECOMMENDATIONS.
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"THE WORKING GROUP CERTAINLY HAS NOT EXCLUDED DIRECT RECRUITMENT AS AN OPTION. WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT IT SHOULD CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER METHODS," MR MATHEWS SAID.
BE USED IN
THE WORKING GROUP HAS SUGGESTED THAT DIRECT RECRUITMENT OF LOCAL LAWYERS TO THE DIRECTORATE SHOULD BE USED WITH CARE, ΤΟ THE EXTENT DEMONSTRATED BY NEED, AND NOT TO THE EXCLUSION OF OTHER
SPECIAL MEASURES.
CROWN
LOCALISATION
IT HAS ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THE POOL OF LOCAL SENIOR COUNSEL BE EXPANDED TO FORM A SOLID BASE FOR DIRECTORATE IN THE LONG RUN.
IN ITS PREVIOUS REPORT IN 1988, THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDED THE INTRODUCTION OF A "DOUBLE LADDER" SCHEME FOR PROMOTION OF LOCAL OFFICERS FROM CROWN COUNSEL TO SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL AS A SPECIAL MEASURE TO QUICKEN THE PACE OF LOCALISATION IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS. THAT SCHEME WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 1988.
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AT PRESENT, OUT OF THE 134 SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL, 58 (43.3 PER CENT) ARE LOCAL. AT THE END OF 1988, THERE WERE 99 SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL WITH 23 OF THEM (22 PER CENT) BEING LOCAL.
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