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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993
AT EACH LEVEL OF THE COURT SYSTEM, JUDICIAL LEADERS WOULD BE APPOINTED, AGAIN TASKED WITH PROMOTING EFFICIENCY.
IN ADDITION, THE CHIEF JUSTICE WOULD CHAIR A HIGH-LEVEL WORKING AND PARTY COMPRISING MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY, THE LEGAL PROFESSION THE PUBLIC THROUGH WHICH A THOROUGH REVIEW OF EXISTING ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEMS WOULD BE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE HOW AND WHERE IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE.
ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COURT OF FINAL APPEAL, MR PATTEN SAID LEGISLATION WOULD BE DRAFTED ON THE BASIS AGREED BY THE JLG IN 1991.
"IT WILL BE INCUMBENT ON THE ADMINISTRATION WHEN BRINGING THE FORWARD то BILL
CONVINCE BOTH YOU AND THE COMMUNITY THAT IT IS A SENSIBLE AND HONOURABLE AGREEMENT, ONE THAT IS CONSISTENT RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.
WITH
THE
"THE ULTIMATE DECISION WILL REST WITH THIS COUNCIL.
"BUT NOTHING, I BELIEVE, WILL DO MORE ΤΟ BUILD TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAN THE SMOOTH AND EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF A COURT OF FINAL APPEAL WELL IN ADVANCE OF 1997
WITH THE FIRM GUARANTEE OF A LIFE BEYOND THAT YEAR, HE SAID.
"
TURNING TO PERSONAL FREEDOMS, MR PATTEN SAID CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON INDIVIDUALS BEING CONVINCED THAT 1997 WILL NOT MEAN AN
WHICH UNDERMINING OF THE PERSONAL LIBERTIES WHICH THEY ENJOY AND ARE A VITAL INGREDIENT IN OUR SEPARATE SYSTEM, OUR SPECIAL WAY OF LIFE.
GETTING THE MECHANISMS, THE SYSTEMS, THE AGREEMENTS IN PLACE COULD NOT BE THE ONLY GOAL, HE SAID.
"NO LESS IMPORTANT IS THE TASK OF DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE AND
ABOUT COMMITMENT
THE LONG-TERM PROSPECTS OF HONG KONG AMONG THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND AMONG HONG KONG'S PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD, HE SAID.
1.
MR PATTEN POINTED OUT THAT BOTH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW SOUGHT TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH ASSURANCES ON THIS SCORE, BUT THERE WAS MORE THAT COULD BE DONE.
THE JOINT DECLARATION LAID DOWN THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE TWO INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS, ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AND ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS AS APPLIED TO HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN IN FORCE AFTER 1997, HE SAID,
"BUT IT WOULD BE A VERY WELCOME STEP IF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WERE TO BECOME A SIGNATORY TO THESE TWO COVENANTS, THE GOVERNOR
**
ADDED.
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