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It is intended that through such visits, delegates from Hong Kong will acquire a better understanding of the structure and operation of the various legal institutions as well as the legislative and judicial processes in China.
During the visit, the delegation will meet officials of the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate in Beijing, and legal and judicial authorities in Dalian and Kunming.
The delegation includes Counsel from all units of the Legal Policy Division of the AGC and a representative from the Constitutional Affairs Branch of the Government Secretariat.
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Pension scheme for local veteran volunteers proposed
The Volunteer and Naval Volunteer Pensions (Amendment) Bill 1997 will be gazetted on Friday. The Bill seeks to establish a local pension scheme for those members of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps and the Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Defence Corps who suffered disablement or death due to their service in defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War.
At present, the Volunteer and Naval Volunteer Pensions Ordinance already provides for the payment of pensions, gratuities, and allowance in respect of these groups of people.
Enacted in 1950, the Ordinance makes reference to a UK Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order in prescribing the conditions, eligibility and rates of payment.
"Given the evolving differences in the socio-economic conditions between UK and Hong Kong and that the UK Order mainly caters for the various UK forces, only provisions of the Order that are applicable to the veteran volunteers would be adopted," a spokesman for the Health and Welfare Branch said today (Wednesday).
"The objective of the amendment Bill is to establish a local pension scheme. Provisions of the UK Order which are inapplicable would not be adopted.