XN000022-1987-06-28 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 1987

LAW DRAFTSMAN STUDIES CANADIAN SYSTEM * * * * *

THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN PRODUCING BILINGUAL LEGISLATION.

STUDYING

APPROACH CANADA'S

TO

TACKLED

LAW DRAFTSMAN,

MR FRANCIS TRIP TO OTTAWA ΤΟ TASK OF PRODUCING

THE DEPARTMENT'S SENIOR ASSISTANT

CHEUNG, RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A WEEK-LONG STUDY

THE LEARN

HAVE

CANADIANS HOW THE LEGISLATION IN BOTH ENGLISH AND FRENCH AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

UNIT,

MR CHEUNG, WHO HEADS THE DEPARTMENT'S BILINGUAL DRAFTING

OF JUSTICE IN MET THE CHIEF PARLIAMENTARY COUNSEL IN THE DEPARTMENT

IN SEVERAL DAYS

RIS OTTAWA, MR

JOHNSON Q.C., PETER DEPARTMENT LEARNING ABOUT THEIR WORK.

AND

SPENT

SAID: "THE FRENCH

(SUNDAY) COMMENTING ON HIS VISIT, MR CHEUNG TODAY CANADIAN EXPERIENCE IN PREPARING BILINGUAL LAWS IN ENGLISH AND IS USEFUL AS A GUIDE TO HELP HONG KONG IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS.

*

THE FIRST AND CHINESE, WAS

TO PRODUCE LEGISLATION THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS NOW BEGINNING IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE. THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES BILL 1987, PIECE OF LEGISLATION TO BE WRITTEN IN BOTH ENGLISH GAZETTED EARLIER THIS MONTH FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

ALTHOUGH THE

ONLY THE WHILE THE

BOTH LANGUAGES DRAFTED BILL IS

IN

INTO LAW, BE DEBATED AND PASSED ENGLISH VERSION WILL CHINESE TEXT IS BEING PRESENTED AS A "DUMMY RUN". THIS IS DESIGNED TO COMMENT ON HOW SUCH LEGISLATION GIVE THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOULD BE PRESENTED IN FUTURE.

FACES

THAT THE

1970s

THAT HIS UNIT NOW MR CHEUNG SAID IT WAS INTERESTING TO FIND

LEGAL CANADIAN

AUTHORITIES SAME THE

PROBLEM

THE DIFFICULTY IS, IN THE EARLY EXPERIENCED RECRUITING COMPETENT BILINGUAL DRAFTSMEN.

THAT

OF

SIMPLY A MATTER HE EXPLAINED THAT BILINGUAL DRAFTING WAS NOT

CHINESE TO

THE ASSIST OF TRANSLATING THE ENGLISH TEXT OF LAWS INTO PUBLIC IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE LAW SAYS.

INSTEAD, IT IS THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A TEXT WHICH IS LAW BOTH LANGUAGES, OR WHAT IS KNOWN AS AN "AUTHENTIC" TEXT OF THE LAW.

THE

IN

IN MESSAGE WHILE AT THE

19 DIFFICULT

AND ENGLISH SAME TIME

NEED

CHINESE PRESERVING

то WITH

THE

"WHAT MAKES THE TASK PARTICULARLY EXPRESS THE SAME LEGISLATIVE PRECISION AND CONCISENESS LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TWO LANGUAGES.

"AND OF COURSE THERE IS NO

PRECEDENT

SAID.

то

FOLLOW,"

MR

CHEUNG

/HE SAID