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MONDAY, OCTOBER 11,
1993 *
ITS MEMBERS ARE: JUDGE WILSON, A DISTRICT JUDGE; MR PATRICK HAMLIN, DEPUTY CROWN SOLICITOR; MR M K TURNBULL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AID; MR GEOFFREY T L MA, QC, OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION; MR TIMOTHY C PARKES OF THE LAW SOCIETY; AND MR LEE JARK-PUI.
THE TRIBUNAL COURT USERS COMMITTEE IS CHAIRED BY THE CHIEF MAGISTRATË, MR G P MUTTRIE. ITS MEMBERS ARE: MR TIMOTHY LEE, A PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL; MR HON TAM-CHUN, AN
ADJUDICATOR OF THE SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL; MR K K LAI, REGISTRAR OF THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL; MR H M HASSAN, REGISTRAR OF THE SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL; MR YEUNG PO-KWAN; MR FREDERICK YU SAK-KWONG; AND MR JEROME YEUNG YIU-TIN.
THE SETTING UP OF THE COURT USERS COMMITTEES FLOWS FROM THE RECOMMENDATION OF AN INTERNAL WORKING GROUP CHAIRED BY MR JUSTICE LITTON, A JUSTICE OF APPEAL.
THE WORKING GROUP WAS APPOINTED BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE IN JUNE THIS YEAR TO CONSIDER THE VARIOUS PROPOSALS BY THE LEGAL PROFESSIONS ON HOW THE COURT USERS COMMITTEE SHOULD BEST BE FORMED.
AT TODAY'S MEET-THE-MEDIA SESSION, THE CHIEF JUSTICE ALSO EXPRESSED HIS DETERMINATION TO EXPLORE ALL POSSIBLE WAYS AND MEANS TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF APPOINTING MORE LOCAL LAWYERS ΤΟ THE JUDICIARY.
HE SAID WHEREAS ONLY 32 PERCENT OF ALL JUDICIAL OFFICERS WERE LOCAL IN 1988 WHEN HE BECAME THE CHIEF JUSTICE, THE PROPORTION HAD NOW INCREASED TO 43 PERCENT.
"BY 1997, I EXPECT AT LEAST HALF OF ALL OUR JUDICIAL OFFICERS WILL BE LOCAL. I AM CONFIDENT OF ACHIEVING THIS TARGET, HE ADDED.
"
SIR TI LIANG POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF LOCALS JOINING THE BENCH HAD ACCELERATED RECENTLY.
"OF
THE 29 JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS MADE SINCE JANUARY 1992, 23 ARE LOCAL OFFICERS. THIS AMOUNTS TO 80 PERCENT. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THIS TREND WILL GATHER FURTHER MOMENTUM IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, HE EMPHASISED.
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THE CHIEF JUSTICE CALLED ON LOCAL LAWYERS TO JOIN THE BENCH, NOTING THAT THE JUDICIARY "DOES OFFER A CHALLENGING AND MEANINGFUL CAREER.
"THE PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S SYSTEM IS VERY MUCH, AND IN TIME WILL BE ENTIRELY, IN THE LOCAL LAWYERS.
JUDICIAL HANDS OF
"WITHOUT THEM, WE SHALL BE WITHOUT A CREDIBLE
SAID.
JUDICIARY,"
HE
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