XN000022-1987-03-25 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1987

+RESOURCES WILL BE A MAJOR PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY THE AVAILABILITY OF BILINGUAL LAW DRAFTSMEN.

+AT THE MOMENT, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS ABLE TO RECRUIT ONLY FIVE QUALIFIED OFFICERS FOR THIS PURPOSE AND IT IS NOT EXPECTED THAT MANY PIECES OF LEGISLATION IN CHINESE WILL FLOW FROM THEIR COMBINED EFFORT, HE SAID,

DOUBT OVER BILINGUAL LAW BILL EXPRESSED

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THE HON MARTIN LEE TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SAID HE HAD DOUBT OVER THE WISDOM OF SECTION 4 OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986, WHICH PROVIDED THAT ALL NEW ORDINANCES MUST BE ENACTED AND PUBLISHED IN BILINGUAL FORMS.

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE OF THE BILL. MR LEE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE SECTION MADE PROVISION FOR AN ORDINANCE TO BE PUBLISHED IN ONE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE WHEN IT WAS URGENT, THIS WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO DEAL WITH THE DANGER OF UNNECESSARY USE OF SCARCE BILINGUAL DRAFTING RESOURCES WHERE THE GOVERNMENT'S LEGISATIVE PROGRAMME CONTAINED ITEMS OF TECHNICAL AND COMPLEX NEW LEGISLATION WHICH HAD NO DIRECT IMPACT UPON THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

+WHAT IS THE POINT OF DEVOTING OUR LIMITED RESOURCES TO SUCH ESOTERIC NEW ORDINANCES AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE EXISTING ORDINANCES WHICH CAN READILY BE IDENTIFIED AS IMPORTANT TO THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE?+ HE QUESTIONED.

WITH REGARD TO THE PROPOSED COMMITTEE STAGE AMENDMENT TO THE NEW SECTION 4C(1)(A) RELATING TO THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BILINGUAL LAWS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MR LEE SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO RECORD A NOTE OF RESERVATION ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE LAW SOCIETY OF HONG KONG, WHOSE REPRESENTATIVES HAD MET WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE BILL AND ALSO WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT IN EFFECT STATED THAT THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MIGHT MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL AS TO WHICH EXISTING ORDINANCE SHOULD RECEIVE PRIORITY IN THE TRANSLATION PROGRAMME.

/+WHILST THE