XN000022-1983-04-30 — Page 5

SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1982

NOTE TO EDITORS:

GOVERNOR TO OPEN WATER SPORTS CENTRE

***

THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, WILL OFFICIATE AT THE OPENING OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT'S CHONG HING WATER SPORTS CENTRE AT THE HIGH ISLAND WATER RESERVOIR, SAI KUNG ON TUESDAY (MAY 3) AT 2.30 PM.

SIR EDWARD WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LADY YOUDE.

FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE CENTRE, DONATED BY THE LJU CHONG HING BANK LTD., SIR EDWARD WILL FIRE A CANNON TO START A MINI-DRAGON BOAT RACE.

YOU ARE INVITED TO COVER THE OPENING CEREMONY.

TRANSPORT TO THE CENTRE WILL BE PROVIDED. MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES WHO WISH TO COVER THE CEREMONY ARE REQUESTED TO ASSEMBLE AT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES CARPARK SITE AT 12.15 PM.

APPOINTMENT OF Q.C. ****

THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT LOCAL SILKS IS REFLECTED BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF QUEEN'S COUNSEL COMING FROM ENGLAND EVERY YEAR TO BE ADMITTED FOR PARTICULAR CASES, THE CHIEF JUSTICE, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

HE WAS OFFICIATING AT A CEREMONY IN THE SUPREME COURT TO CALL WITHIN THE BAR TWO PRACTISING BARRISTERS, MR KEMAL BOKHARY AND MR GILBERT RODWAY.

SIR DENYS SAID, +WHERE A DIVIDED PROFESSION EXISTS, AND THE AMOUNT OF SUBSTANTIAL CIVIL WORK IS SIGNIFICANT, A PROPORTION OF ABOUT ONE LEADER TO TEN JUNIORS PROVIDES THE RIGHT BALANCE.+

AT PRESENT THERE ARE 16 SILKS IN PRACTICE AT THE BAR, OUT OF A TOTAL OF ABOUT 210 MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG BAR ASSOCIATION, STILL BELOW THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED PROPORTION, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT LEADERS APPEAR IN THE MORE DIFFICULT CRIMINAL MATTERS AS WELL AS IN THE CIVIL CASES IN THE HIGH COURT AND THE COURT OF APPEAL.

HE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, CIVIL APPEALS ROSE BY ABOUT 10 PER CENT, WHEREAS CLAIMS IN THE HIGH COURT NEARLY DOUBLED FROM 7 500 IN 1980 TO 13 000 IN 1982.

/HE ATTRIBUTED