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MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1993
SERVICE AND POLLOW-UP, AFTER ANY SUBSEQUENT CONVICTION, ARE ALSO DEALT WITH BY THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND THOSE WHO HAVE INCURRED FINES MAY NOW PAY THEN AT ANY MAGISTRACY BUILDING AND DO NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE ONE THAT IMPOSED THE PENALTY.
IN HIS SPEECH, THE CHIEF JUSTICE ALSO TOUCHED ON THE ISSUE OF
"LOCALS".
"MUCH HAS BEEN SAID OF THE DESIRABILITY OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF LOCAL PEOPLE IN THE JUDICIARY. MUCH HAS BEEN DONE IN THAT REGARD AND IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT IN 1987, 45 NUMBERS of THE JUDICIARY WERE EMPLOYED ON LOCAL TERMS BUT TODAY THE NUMBER IS 61.
"THIS SHOWS AN INCREASE, IN PERCENTAGE TERMS, OF FROM 30 CENT TO 38.61 PER CENT," HE SAID.
PER
SIR TI LIANG STRESSED: "ALTHOUGH LOCALS OP ABILITY AND INTEGRITY OUGHT TO BE GIVEN FIRST PRIORITY WHEN RECRUITED, ONCE INSIDE THE JUDICIARY, BOTH LOCALS AND EXPATRIATES SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF CAREER ADVANCEMENT, WITH FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN FOR A KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE OF LOCAL CONDITIONS.
AND
"IN THIS REGARD, I HAVE PLACED, AND WILL CONTINUE ΤΟ PLACE, GREAT EMPHASIS ON THE THREE CRITERIA BY WHICH I BELIEVE MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY ARE PROPERLY JUDGED.
"THE OFTEN REPEATED CRITERIA ARE COMPETENCE IN LAW, JUDICIAL TEMPERAMENT AND PROPRIETY OF CONDUCT.
"FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT, IT IS THESE CRITERIA WHICH I REGARD AS VITAL AND NOT WHETHER A PERSON 15, OR IS NOT, REGARDED AS A LOCAL.'
NOTING THAT THERE WAS NOW MUCH LOCAL INTEREST FROM THE SECTOR IN THE MAGISTRACY AND SUPREME COURT BENCH, THE CHIEF HOPED THAT THE JUDICIARY, IN FUTURE, WOULD NO LONGER NEED TO ENGLAND FOR APPOINTMENTS TO THE MAGISTRATES COURTS.
H
PRIVATE JUSTICE LOOK то
"I AM ALSO MUCH ENCOURAGED BY THE INTEREST SHOWN BY A NUMBER OF QUEEN'S COUNSEL FOR THE SUPREME COURT AND HOPE THAT SOME MORE LOCAL APPOINTMENTS MAY BE MADE FOR FUTURE VACANCIES, HE SAID.
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EARLIER, SIR ΤΙ LIANG ACKNOWLEDGED IN HIS SPEECH THE RETIREMENT OF MR JUSTICE CLOUGH FROM THE COURT OF APPEAL AND MR JUSTICE HOOPER FROM THE HIGH COURT WHO HAD MADE IMMENSE TO THE JUDICIARY.
HE ALSO REFERRED TO THE IMPENDING DEPARTURE OF RESPECTED COURT OF APPEAL JUDGES SIR DEREK CONS, MR AND MR JUSTICE KEMPSTER.
CONTRIBUTION
THREE HIGHLY JUSTICE FUAD
ALSO SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY WERE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR JEREMY MATHEWS; THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG BAR ASSOCIATION, MISS JACQUELINE LEONG; AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF HONG KONG, MR AMBROSE LAU.
/THE CEREMONIAL