WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1992
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ATTORNEY GENERAL EXPLAINS BRIEFING-OUT CASE
THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JEREMY MATHEWS, TODAY EXPLAINED THE REASONS FOR INSTRUCTING LAWYERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE TO CONDUCT THE PROSECUTION IN A RECENT HIGH COURT CRIMINAL CASE.
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON LFONG CHE-HUNG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MIR MATHEWS SAID THE PRINCIPAL CROWN
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WITNESS IN THAT CASE WAS A FORMER SENIOR OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT WHILE A NUMBER OF OTHER CROWN WITNESSES WERE OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT WHO HAD IN THE PAST WORKED UNDER THE PRINCIPAL WITNESS.
IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THE INDEPENDENCE AND IMPARTIALITY OF THE PROSECUTION COULD HAVE BEEN PUT IN DOUBT IF IT HAD BEEN HANDLED BY COUNSEL OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, HE SAID.
LAWYERS IN PRIVATE
"IT WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO INSTRUCT PRACTICE TO CONDUCT THE PROSECUTION," MR MATHEWS SAID.
THE TOTAL COST ENTAILED IN BRIEFING OUT THE PROSECUTION OF THIS. CASE, WHICH LASTED 161 HEARING DAYS, WAS $22.9 MILLION,
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AUTOMATIC POSTPONEMENT OF PUBLIC EXAMS NOT PRACTICAL
TO
THE SCHEDULING OF EXAMINATIONS IS VERY CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATED ENSURE ABSOLUTE FAIRNESS AND PREVENT CHEATING, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID.
ANY POSTPONEMENT IS UNDESIRABLE AND EVERY EFFORT IS MADE ΤΟ AVOID IT, HE ADDED.
"THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR OVERSEAS EXAMINATIONS SINCE THEIR SCHEDULING IS CO-ORDINATED WITH THE TIMING OF THE EXAMINATION IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD SO AS TO PREVENT CHEATING
SAME
BY, FOR EXAMPLE, PASSING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO CANDIDATES IN COUNTRIES BY TELEPHONE OR FACSIMILE, SAID MR CHAN IN A WRITTEN TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HENRY TANG AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ( WEDNESDAY).
OTHER
REPLY TODAY
HONG KONG PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS ARE RUN BY THE HONG KONG EXAMINATIONS AUTHORITY (HKEA), EITHER IN ITS OWN RIGHT OR ON BEHALF OF OVERSEAS EXAMINATIONS BODIES.
IT IS NOT PRACTICAL OR FEASIBLE FOR THE HKEA TO POSTPONE EXAMINATIONS AUTOMATICALLY UPON THE ISSUE OF A RED RAINSTORM BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.
WARNING
/"RELEVANT GOVERNMENT