24

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1993

THERE ARE SOME 29 FOREIGN LAW FIRMS AND OVER LAWYERS NOW WORKING HERE.

180

FOREIGN

THE BILL REQUIRED FOREIGN LAWYERS AND FOREIGN REGISTER WITH THE LAW SOCIETY.

LAW

FIRMS то

THE

ONLY FOREIGN LAWYERS AND FOREIGN LAW FIRMS REGISTERED WITH LAW SOCIETY, AS WELL AS SOLICITORS AND BARRISTERS ADMITTED TO PRACTISE IN HONG KONG, WOULD BE PERMITTED TO PRACTISE FOREIGN LAW.

FOREIGN

LAWYERS AND FOREIGN LAW FIRMS WOULD BE ABLE ASSOCIATIONS WITH LOCAL LAW FIRMS, AND BE ABLE TO SHARE OFFICE PERSONNEL AND FEES.

ΤΟ

FORM SPACE,

MR WOOD

THIS MEASURE SAID

LOCAL WOULD BENEFIT THE CLIENT, WHO COULD OBTAIN HIS LEGAL

AND SERVICES

FOREIGN

AT ONE

FIRMS, AND PLACE.

FOREIGN LAWYERS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE LAW SOCIETY'S RULES CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY POWERS.

OF

CONTAINED KONG

UNDER SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION TO BE MADE UNDER POWERS IN THE BILL, A FOREIGN LAWYER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PRACTISE HONG LAW.

LAW FURTHER, THE SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION WOULD ALLOW A FOREIGN AFTER

AND FIRM,

THREE PRACTISING IN HONG KONG FOR AT LEAST

YEARS, PRACTISE IN WHERE ALL OF THE PARTNERS IN HONG KONG WERE ADMITTED TO HONG KONG, TO ESTABLISH A HONG KONG PRACTICE.

LOCAL THE BILL WOULD ALSO ENABLE FOREIGN LAWYERS TO QUALIFY AS

ΤΟ PRACTISE LAWYERS, THUS ENABLING THOSE FOREIGN LAWYERS WHO WISHED HONG KONG LAW TO DO SO, AS HONG KONG LAWYERS.

FOREIGN

LAWYERS

WOULD BE ABLE TO SO QUALIFY ON THE OBJECTIVE, NON-DISCRIMINATORY AND COMPETENCY-BASED CRITERIA.

BASIS

OF

BEFORE ADMISSION, FOREIGN LAWYERS, WHETHER FROM A COMMON LAW OR TRANSFER TEST A NON-COMMON LAW JURISDICTION, WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A ADMINISTERED BY THE LAW SOCIETY.

ON THE PROBLEM OF TOUTING AND IMPROPER COMMISSION-TAKING WITHIN UNPROFESSIONAL THE LEGAL PROFESSION, MR WOOD SAID THESE INSIDIOUS AND PRACTICES ATTACKED THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND THE RULE OF LAW BY DEPRIVING CITIZENS OF THEIR RIGHT TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN SOLICITOR AND OF LEGAL HAVE ACCESS TO HIM OR HER, BY GREATLY INCREASING THE COST SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC, AND BY ATTRACTING UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS TO PREY ON THE UNSUSPECTING CLIENT.

PROPOSAL. IN НЕ SAID AN IMPORTANT PART IN THAT FIGHT WAS THE

TO REQUIRE A THIS BILL THAT WOULD EMPOWER A LAW SOCIETY INSPECTOR

THE ΤΟ

TO ENSURE THAT SOLICITOR

PRODUCE

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS SOCIETY'S RULES FOR GOOD PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT HAD BEEN FOLLOWED.

ALL

THE LAW SOCIETY'S NEW PRACTICE RULES TO STRENGTHEN ITS POWER TO DEAL WITH TOUTING WERE GAZETTED LAST FRIDAY.

DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.

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