CO129-469 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1921 [9-12] — Page 341

-3-

334

examination of the University of Hongkong to the list of exa..ina- tions which are grounds of exemption from the solicitors prelim- inary examination. Paragraph (b) of the sale section.makes a consequential amendment in sub-section (3) of section 3 of the principal Ordinance.

9.

Paragraph (a) of section 3 corrects an obvious mistake in Jection 11 of the principal Ordinance. That section provided that the examiners for the purposes of the Ordinance must be the Attorney General, a practising solicitor, and another person or other persons to be appointed by the Chief Justice. Obviously this was intended to apply only to the final examination, and the amendment effects this object.

10.

Paragraph.(b) of section 3 gives the Governor in Council power to prescribe by regulation the amount of the fees to be

paid to the examiners in the final examination.

Formerly the

The mendment ·

fees had to be fixed afresh on each examination. also provides that these fees shall be paid by the candidate,or if there be more than one candidate, by the candidates in equal shares. It is proposed to fix the examiners' fees at $100 each,

so that a candidate may have to pay $300 for the examination. 11. Section 4 authorises a fine of one thousand dollare on own- mary conviction instead of a penalty of two hundred dollars (apparently recoverable by a common informer) as the penalty for unlawfully practising as a barrister or solicitor. The consent of the Attorney General for the institution of proceedings is made no longer necessary.

12.

13.

Section 5 is a consequential amendment.

The amendment suggested in the Secretary of State's des- patch of the 17th January, 1914, is no longer necessary, because the Law Society (England) is no longer referred to any of the

Legal Practitioners Ordinances.

14.

In my opinion this is an Ordinance to which His Excellency

the Governor may properly assent in the name His Majesty and

on His behalf.

Attorney General.