XN000022-1988-01-11 — Page 6

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 1988

WAS 82

DAYS,

"THE AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR A CIVIL CASE WAS 83 DAYS AND THE PERIOD BETWEEN TRANSFER AND TRIAL OF A CRIMINAL MATTER SOMEWHAT MORE THAN IS DESIRABLE. HE SAID.

THE FAMILY DIVISION OF THE DISTRICT DIVORCES, COMPARED WITH 5,339 IN 1986, AT A SPEED WHICH SEEMS TO GIVEN SATISFACTION TO THE PROFESSION AND PARTIES.

COURT DEALT WITH

5,747

HAVE

CARRIED AS ALWAYS, THE BULK OF THE CRIMINAL WORK HAS BEEN

OVER 575,139 IN THE MAGISTRACIES, WHERE

MATTERS CAME BEFORE THERE WAS A DECLINE OF THREE PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF CHARGES, ARE THE MORE SERIOUS MATTERS, AND OF ABOUT FIVE PER CENT OVERALL.

THE AVERAGE WAITING TIME BETWEEN ENTRY OF A CASE AND ITS THE MAGISTRATES COURTS WAS 49 DAYS IN 1987. THIS DETERIORATION COMPARED WITH THE 1986 FIGURE OF 38 DAYS.

IN

OUT

THEM.

WHICH

TRIAL

WAS

APPOINTED

THE CHIEF JUSTICE CONTINUED TO SAY: "WE HAVE

TO DEAL WITH THE ADDITIONAL SPECIAL MAGISTRATES, WHO ARE EMPOWERED

THOUGH THEIR POWERS OF SMALLER CASES, INCLUDING CONTESTED MATTERS, PUNISHMENT ARE LIMITED.

"THERE IS NOW A SPECIAL MAGISTRATE IN EACH MAGISTRACY BUILDING,

HIS CONDUCTING

COURT IN CANTONESE

THE AND RELIEVING

PERMANENT MAGISTRATES TO DEAL WITH THE MORE SERIOUS CASES.

НОРЕ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . WITH THEIR HELP, AND A REDUCED

WE SHALL RE MAGISTRATES TO SET AS DEPUTY DISTRICT JUDGES,

BELOW BRING DOWN THE WAITING TIME IN MAGISTRATES COURTS TO WHICH IS THE PROPER AIM OF A SUMMARY COURT OF THIS NATURE,"

NEED FOR

ABLE 30

TO DAYS,

THAN IN THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL DEALT WITH 19 PER CENT LESS CASES

OF 40 DAYS WAS LONGER 1986. AS A RESULT, ITS AVERAGE WAITING TIME

IF IS

ΤΟ SUPPOSED THAN THE PERIOD OF 30 DAYS WITHIN WHICH

HEAR A

CLAIM.

REMAINED MORE OR LESS THE SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL'S WORK

THE 66 DAYS ALSO FAILS ΤΟ SAMK AS IN 1986, THOUGH ITS WAITING TIME OF MEET THE REQUIREMENT THAT A CLAIM SHALL BE HEARD WITHIN 60 DAYS.

THE NUMBER OF "THE CORONERS HAVE FACED AN INCREASE IN

DEATH то SHORTEN SLIGHTLY INQUIRIES OF OVER 36 PER CENT, YET HAVE MANAGED

STILL HOWEVER TOO LONG AT 104 THE WAITING TIME, WHICH IS

DAYS,

SIR DENYS CONCLUDED.

ΤΟ ALL THOSE THAT A WETHOUT THE SUPPORT

THE CHIEF JUSTICE ALSO SAID THAT HE IS GRATEFUL IN THE JUDICIARY FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND SUPPORT, EMPHASISING JUDGE OR MAGISTRATE CANNOT FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY OF THE NON-LAWYERS WHO FORM 90 PER CENT OF THE STAFF.

HE ALSO EXPRESSED THANKS TO ALL THOSE THE LEGAL YEAR OPENING CEREMONY.

INVOLVED IN ORGANISING

/ALSO SPEAKING