WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986
HE SAID THE COMMISSIONER SHOULD FORM PART OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS AND WORK TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AS HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY TRANSLATION WORK.
HE SUGGESTED THAT A BILINGUAL LAW ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF EXPERTS FROM VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL FIELDS SHOULD BE SET UP TO GIVE ADVICE ON LEGAL, TECHNICAL AND TRANSLATION MATTERS.
IT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION BY THE COMMISSIONER AND ADVISE THE GOVERNOR THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON THE PUBLICATION OF AUTHENTIC TRANSLATIONS WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN SCRUTINISED AND ENDORSED BY THE COMMISSIONER, HE ADDED.
MR HU ALSO FELT THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE ACCORDED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN MONITORING THE STANDARD OF THE AUTHENTIC VERSIONS ALTHOUGH COUNCILLORS SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN SCRUTINISING THE TRANSLATION IN DETAIL.
MR HU SAID IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT A PERSON OF A RIGHT CALIBRE TO FILL THE POST OF SPECIAL COMMISSIONER, BUT STRESSED THAT SETTING UP THE OFFICE WOULD BE A TANGIBLE SIGN OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO ACCORD HIGH PRIORITY TO BILINGUAL LEGISLATION.
REFERRING TO THE DISCUSSION PAPER AS A WHOLE, MR HU REPORTED THAT THE AD HOC GROUP AGREED TO A NUMBER OF ITS RECOMMENDATIONS BUT HAD SOME COMMENTS ON OTHERS.
THE GROUP SUGGESTED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD WORK OUT A SET OF CRITERIA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO DECIDE WHICH ORDINANCES FELL INTO THE +ARCHAIC+ TYPE.
ON THE RECOMMENDATION FOR CONSULTATION WITH PERSONS AND BODIES IN CHINA TO ENSURE HARMONISATION OF THE LANGUAGE USED IN HONG KONG STATUTES WITH THAT OF CHINA, MR HU SAID THE GROUP WAS WORRIED THAT MISCONCEPTIONS COULD EASILY ARISE, GIVEN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO LEGAL SYSTEMS.
THE GROUP FELT THAT STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE TERMINOLOGY OF THE CHINESE LEGAL SYSTEM WITHOUT GIVING DUE CONSIDERATION TO LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
IF DIFFERENCES OF INTERPRETATION ARISE FROM THIS ATTEMPT, THE LANGUAGE COMMONLY USED AND UNDERSTOOD BY HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD BE ADOPTED, HE SAID.
THE GROUP ALSO CONSIDERED THAT PRIORITIES IN MAKING LAWS BILINGUAL SHOULD BE MORE FLEXIBLE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES IN THE GOVERNMENT AND THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PREPARATION AND UPDATING OF THE GLOSSARY OF TERMS SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED.
/IT RECOMMENDED
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