XN000022-1985-06-26 — Page 11

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1985

IT WAS REPORTED THAT IT WAS SENT WITH THE BACKING AND SUPPORT OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE LAW SOCIETY OF HONG KONG.

ON THE SAME DATE, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY ISSUED A SEPARATE STATEMENT MAKING IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE NOT LOOKING TO LONDON FOR SUPPORT, BUT THEY WERE HAPPY TO CONSIDER ALL HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FROM MPS OR ANYONE ELSE.

HOWEVER, THEY BOTH FELT THAT THE ISSUE WAS ONE WHICH COULD BE PERFECTLY ADÉQUATELY DEALT WITH IN HONG KONG AND HONG KONG MUST LEARN TO STAND ON ITS OWN FEET.

+THE PRESS REPORT AND THE STATEMENT SEEM TO ME TO BE AMBIGUOUS,+ MR LEE SAID.

+NEVERTHELESS, THE POINT I WISH TO MAKE IS THAT THE LEGAL PROFESSION IS THE VERY PROFESSION THAT. DURING THE 1997 CRISIS OF THE PAST FEW YEARS, MADE IT CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC THAT THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY OF HONG KONG MUST BE MAINTAINED AND THE LAW-MAKING PROCESS MUST BE WITHIN HONG KONG WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM BEIJING.

+NOW, A MESSAGE WAS SENT TO LONDON TO ASK THE BRITISH

GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE.

+I HOPE THIS MESSAGE WAS ONLY FROM AN INDIVIDUAL OF THIS PROFESSION.

+OTHERWISE IT IS A SAD DAY FOR HONG KONG THAT THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS PROFESSION, WHICH STANDS TALL IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WHICH IS THE VERY CORNERSTONE OF THE SUCCESS OF OUR LEGAL SYSTEM, WOULD NOW BE ROCKING THE BOAT.

+MAY I COMPLIMENT AND AGREE WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY ON THEIR STATEMENT THAT THE ISSUE IS ONE THAT CAN BE PERFECTLY ADEQUATELY DEALT WITH IN HONG KONG AND IN ANY EVENT HONG KONG HAS TO LEARN TO STAND ON ITS OWN FEET?

+THE LEGISLATURE OF HONG KONG THIS AFTERNOON IS STANDING ON ITS OWN FEET.

+FINALLY, MAY I REITERATE THAT WE HAVE LISTENED AND LISTENED CAREFULLY, WE HAVE STUDIED AND STUDIED CONSCIENTIOUSLY AND WE HAVE ANALYSED AND ANALYSED THOROUGHLY AND NOW WE ARE MAKING A DECISION THIS AFTERNOON ON THE PASSAGE OF THIS BILL?

+ I AM SURE THAT WE WILL ALL LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE.

+1 HAVE A CLEAR CONSCIENCE IN SUPPORTING THIS BILL BECAUSE THERE IS NO SINISTER MOTIVE WHICH WAS WRONGLY IMPLIED IN SOME OF THE STATEMENTS MADE BY INDIVIDUALS AND PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS, + MR LEE SAID.

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