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1.
REPORT
on a Bill entitled An Ordinance to amend
the Legal Practitioners Ordinance, 1871.
The object of this Bill is to introduce some small but desirable amendments into the conditions which govern the admission of solicitors to practise in the Courts of the Colony. In particular it gives in this connection
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recognition to the Hongkong Law Society which was incor- porated in 1907 and which represents the solicitors' pro- fession in the Colony.
2.
3.
Section 1 of the Bill is formal.
Section 2 indicates what body is referred to under the name of the Hongkong Law Society.
4 Section 3 indicates precisely the degree of education necessary to enable a candidate for admission under articles of clerkship, to dispense with the requisite preliminary examination.
5. Section 4 provides that one at least of the examiners appointed to conduct examinations under the provisions and for the purposes of the Ordinance shall be a solicitor prac- tising in the Colony.
6.
Section 5 prescribes that notice of a candidate's in- tion to apply for admission as a solicitor shall be given to the Secretary of the Hongkong Law Society.
Section 6 replaces Section 22 of the Principal Ordinance
It will be observed that
(No. 1 of 1871) by a new section.
the alterations do not apply to barristers at all. Under the provisions of the new section 22, a solicitor must give four months previous notice of his intention to apply for local ad- ission to the Registrar of the Court and to the Secretary of the Hongkong Law Society; and must deposit with the Registrar his certificate of admission, a second certificate that such
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certificate of admission is still in force and valid and a third
he must also file an affidavit certificate of good character; of his personal identity. Of these requirements the certifi- cate that the original certificate of admission is still valid and the certificate of character are new but they are the same as those requirements which are demanded when application is made
for admission in Great Britain.
A proviso is added to this section that on special grounds the Chief Justice may grant exemption from compliance with any
of these formalities.
8.
Section 7 gives a right of audience, subject to the approval of the Court, to the Hongkong Law Society on the hearing of any application for admission by a solicitor or for exemption from compliance with the formalities prescribed under section 22 or for striking the name of any solicitor off the rolls.
9. In my opinion this is an Ordinance to which His Excellency the Governor may properly assent in the name of His Tajesty
and on His behalf.
Johnas John as Buckwill
Attorney General.
26. 4. 13
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