XN000022-1989-01-09 — Page 6

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 1989

-5

AG OUTLINES LEGAL AGENDA FOR 1989

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR JEREMY MATHEWS, TODAY (MONDAY) SPT OUT AN AGENDA OF REFORMS FOR A BETTER LEGAL SYSTEM IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

IN A WIDE-RANGING SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF THE 1989 LEGAL YEAR HELD AT THE CITY HALL, MR MATHEWS SAID: "WE ENTER 1989 WITH A FULL AGENDA, RECOGNISING THE NEED TO PRESERVE ALL THAT IS GOOD IN OUR LEGAL SYSTEM BUT KEENLY AWARE OF THE NEED TO INTRODUCE CHANGE WHERE NOT TO CHANGE WOULD RESULT IN THE LAW FAILING IN ITS SOCIAL PURPOSE OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY."

BELIEVED,

AT THE TOP OF HIS LIST FOR REFORM WAS THE NEED TO MAKE THE LEGAL SYSTEM MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY WHICH, HE WOULD STRENGTHEN CONFIDENCE IN IT.

"GREATER USE OF CHINESE IN

AT LEAST ALL COURTS TO THE COURTS 18 то

OF FIRST BR MADE

INSTANCE MUST BE ACHIEVED IF ACCESS BASIER FOR THE BULK OF THE COMMUNITY," HE SAID.

JUSTICE

IT WAS IN RECOGNITION OF THIS NECESSITY THAT THE CHIEF HAD CONVENED A WORKING PARTY ON THE GREATER USE OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE IN COURTS AND COURT PROCEEDINGS.

IMPLEMENTATION

OF

THE

||

PARTY'S

"BUT THE

WORKING RECOMMENDATIONS WILL NOT BE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY, MR MATHEWS SAID.

"IT WILL REQUIRE RESOURCES BOTH HUMAN AND FINANCIAL AND CANNOT BE ACHIEVED OVERNIGHT.

ANOTHER VITAL STEP IN MAKING THE LAW ACCESSIBLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WAS THE PRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION IN CHINESE, HE SAID.

REPORTING ON PROGRESS IN THIS AREA, MR MATHEWS SAID THAT, SHORTLY, ALL NEW LEGISLATION WOULD BE ENACTED IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH WITH BOTH TEXTS BEING EQUALLY AUTHENTIC.

IN PARALLEL WITH THIS, HIS CHAMBER'S LAW DRAFTING DIVISION WOULD ALSO BE PRODUCING AUTHENTIC CHINESE TEXTS OF HONG KONG'S VAST BODY OF EXISTING LEGISLATION.

"THE TASK WILL TAKE SOME YEARS TO COMPLETE, BUT, LIKE THE PROMOTION OF GREATER USE OF CHINESE IN THE COURTS, IT WILL OFFER US ALL A CHALLENGE AND A VISION OF A BETTER SYSTEM, HE SAID.

IN THE CHANGE то BILINGUALISM, THE DEVELOPMENT

OF LEGAL

EDUCATION WAS GATHERING MOMENTUM, MR MATHEWS SAID.

TRAINING NEEDS IN LINGUISTIC ABILITIES WERE BEING PROVIDED AT THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE LAWYERS.

/IN ADDITION,