XN000022-1992-03-31 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1992

DEPUTY LAW DRAFTSMAN ERIC AU PASSES AWAY

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STAFF MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WERE DEEPLY GRIEVED BY THE DEATH ON MONDAY OF THEIR COLLEAGUE, DEPUTY LAW DRAFTSMAN MR ERIC AU SING-WAI, AGED 39.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR JEREMY MATHEWS, SAID HE WAS DEEPLY SHOCKED BY MR AU'S DEATH.

MR MATHEWS SAID: "MR AU'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN IMMENSE, PARTICULARLY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BILINGUAL LAW DRAFTING PROGRAMME.

"MR AU WAS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO THE COMPLETION OF THE BILINGUAL LAW DRAFTING PROGRAMME AND BELIEVED PROFOUNDLY IN THE USEFULNESS OF THE PROGRAMME TO THE COMMUNITY.

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"HE WILL BE SADLY MISSED, MR MATHEWS SAID,

SERVICE. HE

MR AU HAD AN OUTSTANDING RECORD OF COMMUNITY UNDERTOOK A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY WORK AS AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE RED CROSS.

IN

HE PLAYED A MAJOR PART IN THE RED CROSS'S FLOOD RELIEF WORK FAST CHINA LAST YEAR AND WAS SELECTED IN 1991 ONE OF THE "10 OUTSTANDING YOUNG PERSONS OF HONG KONG".

MR AU WAS A MEMBER OF THE BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE.

MR AU JOINED THE CIVIL SERVICE AS AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER II ON JULY 24, 1972. HE WAS AWARDED A GOVERNMENT LEGAL TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP IN 1976 AND JOINED THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AS A LEGAL TRAINEE IN JULY 1980.

HE WAS APPOINTED CROWN COUNSEL IN MARCH 1982 UPON HIS ADMISSION AS A SOLICITOR IN HONG KONG, AND WAS PROMOTED TO SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL IN OCTOBER 1984, TO DEPUTY PRINCIPAL CROWN COUNSEL IN DECEMBER 1988, AND TO THE PRESENT RANK OF PRINCIPAL CROWN COUNSEL IN JULY 1991.

MR AU COLLAPSED AT AN EXIT OF THE PRINCE EDWARD MTR STATION ON MONDAY EVENING AND WAS CERTIFIED DEAD ON ARRIVAL IN HOSPITAL.

MR AU IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN,

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