XN000022-1986-01-13 — Page 2

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1986

WORK ON CHINESE VERSION OF LAW CONTINUES

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AG

SPIMENTE

ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN HELP TO ENSURE THAT THE BEST FEATURES OF OUR LEGAL SYSTEM ARE PRESERVED IS BY MAKING OUR STATUTE LAW EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE TO PEOPLE, BOTH IN HONG KONG AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, BY PRODUCING AN AUTHENTIC VERSION IN CHINESE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

ADDRESSING THE OPENING OF THE LEGAL YEAR 1986, MR THOMAS SAID THAT APART FROM THIS, IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE LEGISLATION OF A REGION WHICH, AFTER 1997, WOULD BE PART OF CHINA, TO BE AVAILABLE ONLY IN A LANGUAGE WHICH WAS NOT CHINESE.

NOTING THAT THE PLANNING STAGE FOR THIS PROJECT WAS ALREADY WELL ADVANCED IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, MR THOMAS SAID A COURSE WILL COMMENCE THIS MONTH TO TRAIN CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS IN THE WORK OF PREPARING A CHINESE VERSION OF THE EXISTING LAW OF HONG KONG.

ON THE DRAFTING OF NEW LEGISLATION IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS STILL DESPERATELY SHORT OF LAWYERS WITH THE NECESSARY WRITTEN LANGUAGE SKILLS WHO WERE PREPARED TO ACQUIRE LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING ABILITY.

MR THOMAS ADDED THAT PRODUCING A CHINESE VERSION OF OUR LAW WAS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AND COULD HAVE A CONSIDERABLE EFFECT ON OUR GENERAL APPROACH TO STATUTORY INTERPRETATION.

+HAVING TWO AUTHENTIC VERSIONS OF THE LAW IN LANGUAGES AS DIFFERENT AS ENGLISH AND CHINESE WILL MAKE THE PROBLEMS OF OUR COURTS MUCH EASIER, WHICH IS ALWAYS THE PRIME AIM OF MY LEGISLATIVE DRAFTSMEN.

+ IF ONE VERSION IS MORE THAN USUALLY OBSCURE, THE JUDGE MAY USE THE OTHER, HE SAID.

ON THE LOCAL ISATION OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, MR THOMAS SAID BY 1997, +WE MUST HAVE IN PLACE IN SENIOR POSITIONS EXPERIENCED LOCAL LAWYERS WHO APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDEPENDENT ROLE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AS PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, AND WHO ARE FULLY CAPABLE OF RENDERING UNBIASED ADVICE TO THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE IR ROLE AS PUBLIC LAWYERS.+

HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO TRAIN LOCAL PEOPLE TO QUALIFY AS LAWYERS BY GRANTING SCHOLARSHIPS AND PROVIDING TRAINING

IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WAS BEARING FRUITS.

+WE NOW HAVE 28 LOCAL LAWYERS WITH MORE THAN TWO YEARS' EXPERIENCE AFTER PUPILLAGE OR ADMISSION. WE HAVE ANOTHER 62 LOCAL OFFICERS WITH LESS EXPERIENCE.

/+THAT MAY