XN000022-1990-03-30 — Page 4

نما

3

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1990

F

FOLLOWING THE ENACTMENT OF THE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS { AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE, CERTAIN EXPERIENCED MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT LEGAL SERVICE HAVE BECOME ENTITLED TO SEEK ADMISSION AS BARRISTERS OR SOLICITORS IN HONG KONG.

THE SCHEME APPLIES TO LEGAL OFFICERS ADMITTED IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PLACES: THE STATES AND TERRITORIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA; THE TERRITORIES AND PROVINCES OF CANADA (EXCEPT QUEBEC); NEW ZEALAND; THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND; ZIMBABWE; AND SINGAPORE.

THE ASSISTANT SOLICITOR GENERAL, MR ANDREW BRUCE, EXPLAINED THAT THOSE WHO SEEK TO BE ADMITTED AS SOLICITORS UNDER THE SCHEME MUST HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED AS LAWYERS IN THE LEGAL, LEGAL AID OR REGISTRAR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENTS FOR AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS.

OF THOSE SEVEN YEARS, THE THREE YEARS IMMEDIATELY OR RECENTLY BEFORE APPLYING FOR ADMISSION MUST HAVE BEEN SPENT DOING WORK SIMILAR TO THAT USUALLY UNDERTAKEN BY A SOLICITOR IN HONG KONG.

AN APPLICANT SHOULD ALSO PASS

AN EXAMINATION IN SOLICITORS' ACCOUNTS UNLESS THE CHIEF JUSTICE IS SATISFIED THAT THE APPLICANT PREVIOUSLY PASSED SUCH AN EXAMINATION.

HAS

THE APPLICANT SHOULD INTEND TO ENTER PRACTICE AS A SOLICITOR WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF BEING ADMITTED. THERE IS A QUOTA OF 10 ADMISSIONS A YEAR.

FOR ADMISSION AS BARRISTERS, MR BRUCE SAID AN APPLICANT MUST HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED AS A LEGAL OFFICER IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT FOR AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS.

OF THOSE SEVEN YEARS, THE THREE YEARS IMMEDIATELY OR RECENTLY BEFORE THE APPLICATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT DOING WORK SIMILAR ΤΟ THAT USUALLY UNDERTAKEN BY A BARRISTER IN HONG KONG OF 10 YEARS SENIORITY. HE MUST HAVE ADVOCACY EXPERIENCE.

THE APPLICANT MUST INTEND TO PRACTISE AS A BARRISTER WITHIN MONTHS OF ADMISSION. THERE IS A QUOTA OF FOUR A YEAR.

THE RULES ALSO SET OUT PROCEDURES FOR ADMISSION AS SOLICITORS IN HONG KONG.

12

LAW LECTURERS TO SEEK

THE ENACTMENT OF THE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE WAS BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE THEN UMELCO STANDING PANEL ON SECURITY IN 1988 FOLLOWING REPRESENTATION BY A GROUP OF GOVERNMENT LAWYERS WHO ASKED THAT EXPERIENCED LAWYERS IN GOVERNMENT LEGAL SERVICE WHO WERE QUALIFIED IN CERTAIN COMMONWEALTH JURISDICTION SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO JOIN PRIVATE PRACTICE IN HONG KONG.

0

/4