XN000022-1986-04-23 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1936

73 LOCAL LAWYERS IN CHAMBERS

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AG

THE FIRST PRIORITY OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS TO REMAIN A STRONG, EFFECTIVE, WORKING DEPARTMENT PROVIDING A WIDE RANGE OF FORENSIC AND ADVISORY SERVICES, AND EXPERIENCED AND EXPERT EXPATRIATE LAWYERS ARE THUS NEEDED TO DO THE MORE SPECIALISED WORK AND TO TRAIN UP AND PASS ON THE IR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO LOCAL COUNSEL, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR THOMAS TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO SEE THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT STAFFED IN SENIOR POSITIONS PREDOMINANTLY BY LOCAL LAWYERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BUT AT THE SAME TIME. THE QUALITY OF SERVICES MUST NOT BE PREJUDICED BY PUSHING LOCAL ISATION TOO HARD. HE WAS REPLYING TO POINTS RAISED BY THE HON MARTIN LEE.

THE DEPARTMENT NOW HAD 73 HONG KONG LAWYERS OUT OF A TOTAL STRENGTH OF 234 COUNSEL, COMPARED WITH ONLY 22 OUT OF 120 FIVE YEARS AGO, HE SAID.

+BUT WE STILL DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH LOCAL LAWYERS, PARTICULARLY EXPERIENCED LOCAL LAWYERS, MR THOMAS SAID, SO WE SHALL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO TRAIN, ENCOURAGE AND RETAIN THE LOCAL LAWYERS WHO JOIN THE PUBLIC SERVİCE.+

MR THOMAS DENIED THE ALLEGATION MADE BY MR LEE THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD FAILED TO ATTRACT LOCAL PERSONS BECAUSE TOP POSTS HAD BEEN DENIED TO THEM AND MORE FAVOURABLE TERMS HAD BEEN OFFERED TO EXPATRIATES.

+ I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE HAS BEEN A SINGLE INSTANCE IN MY TIME WHERE AN EXPERIENCED LOCAL LAWYER HAS BEEN DENIED APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION TO A SENIOR POST WHICH HE WAS QUALIFIED TO FILL ON MERIT,+ MR THOMAS SAID.

+THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SO FEW TOP-POSTS OCCUPIED BY LOCAL LAWYERS IS A CONSEQUENCE BOTH OF OUR FAILURE IN THE PAST TO KEEP MORE ABLE COUNSEL IN CHAMBERS AND TO DEVELOP THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND OF OUR FAILURE TO ATTRACT EXPERIENCED LAWYERS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR INTO VACANT POSTS,+ HE ADDED.

ON TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE, MR THOMAS SAID NEWLY QUALIFIED LOCAL LAWYERS DID NOT HAVE QUARTERS PROVIDED BUT THERE WAS NO COMPARISON OF LIKE AND LIKE AT THIS LEVEL AS THE DEPARTMENT DID NOT RECRUIT NEWLY QUALIFIED EXPATRIATE LAWYERS.

HE SAID FROM THE RANK OF SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL, THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE WERE IDENTICAL FOR BOTH LOCAL AND EXPATRIATE. EXCEPT LEAVE ARRANGEMENTS, AND THESE WERE COMMON TO THE WHOLE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

/+WE MUST