XN000022-1980-04-21 — Page 2

MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1980

APPOINTMENTS TO LAW REFORM COMMISSION

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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY (MONDAY) ANNOUNCED THE TERMS OF REFERENCE AND MEMBERSHIP OF THE NEW LAW REFORM COMMISSION.

THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMISSION ARE TO CONSIDER SUCK REFORMS OF THE LAW OF HONG KONG AS MAY BE REFERRED TO IT BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND TO REPORT TO THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THEREON.+

TEN MEMBERS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION IN ADDITION TO THE CHIEF JUSTICE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (WHO WILL BE CHAIRMAN) AND THE LAW DRAFTSMAN.

THEY ARE:

THE HON T.S. LO

UMELCO

THE HON ALEX WU

UMELCO

THE HON HU FA-KUANG

PROFESSOR WILLOUGHBY

MR ROBERT RIBEIRO

MR ANDREW LI

MR EDMUND CHEUNG

DR PHILIP KWOK

UMELCO

HONG KONG UNIVERSITY

HONG KONG UNIVERSITY

BARRISTER

PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY

DR AMBROSE KING

LAY MEMBER

LAY MEMBER

LAY MEMBER

MRS SELINA CHOW

THE APPOINTMENTS WILL NOT INVOLVE FULL TIME WORK ON THE COMMISSION, EXPLAINED A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, AND THE COMMISSION WOULD WORK PRINCIPALLY THROUGH SUB-COMMITTEES ONTO WHICH OTHER EXPERTS AND LAY MEMBERS WOULD BE CO-OPTED AS NECESSARY.

+THE REPORTS OF THESE SUB-COMMITTEES WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION,+ HE SAID.

THE MAIN TASK OF THE COMMISSION WILL BE TO EXAMINE FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE REFORM OF THE LAWS AND PROCEDURES OF HONG KONG,

INCLUDING ON OCCASIONS ASPECTS OF LAW REFORM TO WHICH SOCIAL AS WELL AS PURELY LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS APPLY.

COMMENTING ON THE PROGRAMME OF WORK OF THE COMMISSION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE FIRST SUBJECT THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL HAVE DECIDED TO REFER TO IT IS ARBITRATION LAW.

+ IN PARTICULAR+, HE SAID, THE COMMISSION WILL BE ASKED TO LOOK INTO WHETHER THE LAWS AND PROCEDURES IN HONG KONG CAN BE IMPROVED SO AS TO PROVIDE A MORE ACCEPTABLE METHOD FOR COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL ORGANISATIONS TO SETTLE DISAGREEMENTS ARISING OUT OF THE IR CONTRACTS.+

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