XN000022-1986-03-26 — Page 41

I

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1986

HE POINTED OUT THAT FOR YEARS THE LEGAL PROFESSION HAD ADVOCATED SEPARATING THE JUDICIARY FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE SO AS TO ENHANCE ITS INDEPENDENCE IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC.

+SUCH A MOVE, WHICH MAY RESULT IN BETTER TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT, WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO ATTRACT GOOD LAWYERS TO JOIN THE JUDICIARY, + HE SAID.

AS FOR THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT, MR LEE SAID ONLY 14 OUT OF THE 43 LAWYERS WERE LOCAL OFFICERS AND HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW IT COULD BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO EMPLOY SO MANY EXPATRIATES IN THIS DEPARTMENT, PARTICULARLY BEARING IN MIND THE NATURE OF THE WORK INVOLVED.

HE THEREFORE CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO CONDUCT WITHOUT ANY DELAY A FULL REVIEW OF THESE THREE DEPARTMENTS SO AS TO COME UP WITH POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF EXPATRIATE OFFICERS IN THEM.

MR LEE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT LEGAL AID SHOULD NO LONGER BE ADMINISTERED AS A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT. SAYING THE TIME HAD COME FOR IT TO BE ADMINISTERED WITH PUBLIC FUNDS INDEPENDENTLY BY THE LEGAL PROFESSION.

MR LEE EXPLAINED THAT THERE WERE THREE MAIN REASONS FOR DOING SO.

+THE MAIN ONE IS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF LEGAL AID WILL NOT ONLY BE INDEPENDENT, BUT WILL ALSO BE PERCEIVED TO BE SO,+ HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT IT WOULD ALSO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF AN UNSCRUPULOUS GOVERNMENT STOPPING ACCESS TO THE COURTS BY CITIZENS WHO HAD A LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OR USING THE DISTRIBUTION OF LEGAL AID WORK AS A LEVERAGE ON THE PROFESSION.

SECONDLY, HE FELT ADMINISTRATION OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT

WOULD LEAD TO A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

LASTLY, HE SAID THERE HAD FOR SOME TIME BEEN DISQUIET IN THE PROFESSION THAT THE DISTRIBUTION OF WORK WAS NOT EQUITABLE AND HE BELIEVED AN INDEPENDENT ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE ABLE TO TACKLE THE MATTER MORE SATISFACTORILY.

REGARDING INCREASES IN CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES, MR LEE COMMENTED THAT IT WAS UNWISE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO DEAL WITH THE MATTER IN TWO STAGES.

HE ALSO FELT THAT THE NON-DIRECTORATE SECTOR HAD MADE OUT A STRONG CASE THAT IT WAS NO LONGER BEING PROPERLY REPRESENTED BY THE PEOPLE RECOGNISED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

/+THIS MUST