-
14 -
AG to attend Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting
next
the The Attorney General, Mr Jeremy Mathews will allend Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting from April 15 to 20 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He will be accompanied by Deputy Principal Crown Counsel (International Law), Mr John Hunter, Senior Crown Counsel. Mr Peter Wong Hing-hong and by the Administrative Assistant to the Attorney General, Mr So Kam-shing.
The Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting is held every three years. Its objective is to broaden and enhance arrangements on mutual assistance and co- operation in the field of administration of justice amongst Commonwealth jurisdictions. The last meeting was held at Mauritius in 1993. Hong Kong attends as part of the UK team.
The Crown Solicitor, Mr lan Wingfield, will act as Attorney General during Mr Mathews' absence.
End
Law to protect rights of plant breeders
The Plant Varieties Protection Bill, to be gazetted tomorrow (Friday), will protect the intellectual property rights of breeders of plant varieties.
The World Trade Organisation Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement) requires that every signatory, which includes Hong Kong, must provide for the protection of rights to plant varieties. The Bill will enable Hong Kong to fulfil that obligation.
Under the Bill, the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries will be appointed as the Registrar of Plant Variety Rights and be able to consider applications for plant variety rights. A plant variety must be new, distinct, uniform and stable and have an acceptable name in order to be considered for protection under the new provisions.
of The Bill defines the party entitled to protection and the period and scope protection afforded. Generally, once rights to plant variety have been granted, the grantee will be able to control propagation and commercial exploitation of the plant for 20 years.