XN000022-1985-03-14 — Page 7

6

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1985

+ IT IS PLAINLY DESIRABLE THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE HONG KONG CHINESE LAWYERS AS JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

MR THOMAS SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ABLE PRACTITIONERS COMING FORWARD FOR JUDICIAL SERVICE AS THE NUMBER OF CHINESE SPEAKERS IN THE JUDICIARY WAS STILL FAR TOO LOW.

HE ALSO SAID THAT THERE WERE NOT SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF HONG KONG CHINESE LAWYERS.

IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ARGUE THAT THE SHORT TERM REWARDS OF GOVERNMENT SERVICE FOR YOUNG LAWYERS WERE AS GOOD AS THOSE AVAILABLE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT, MR THOMAS SAID, HE HOPED SOON TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR YOUNG HONG KONG CHINESE LAWYERS BY ACCELERATING THEIR PROGRESS THROUGH THE SALARY SCALE.

MR THOMAS CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT ANOTHER IMPORTANT THEME WAS TO MAINTAIN AND UPDATE THE EXISTING COMMON LAW AND STATUTE LAW FRAMEWORK IN THE YEARS BEFORE 1997.

+ IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF THE LAW AND ITS PROCESSES, NOT AS SOME MUSEUM EXHIBIT OR FOSSIL, BUT AS A PUBLIC SERVICE, RESPONDING TO THE DEMANDS THAT SOCIETY PLACES UPON IT AND GIVING VALUE FOR MONEY.

+WE MUST SUCCEED IN PRESERVING THE BEST FEATURES AND DISCARDING THE WORST, SO THAT HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY AFTER 1997 ALL THOSE ADVANTAGES FROM ITS LAWS AND LEGAL

INSTITUTIONS TO WHICH BRITAIN AND CHINA ATTACHED SO MUCH IMPORTANCE IN THEIR RECENT POLITICAL ACCORD.

+THE LAW'S REPUTATION MUST STAND ON ITS MERITS, NOT ITS HISTORICAL RESPECTABILITY. WHATEVER WE MAY SUCCEED IN DOING IN PREPARING LEGISLATION TO MEET THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997, WE WILL FAIL IN OUR DUTY AS GUARDIANS FOR THE FUTURE IF WE DO NOT ENSURE THAT OUR LEGAL SYSTEM IS SUFFICIENTLY RATIONAL AND COST-EFFECTIVE TO STAND UP TO CRITICAL OBJECTIVE PUBLIC SCRUTINY, MR THOMAS SAID.

17