XN000022-1993-03-31 — Page 44

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1993

LOCALISATION OF LEGAL DEPARTMENT ENCOURAGING

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PROGRESS OF LOCALISATION OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS HAD BEEN ENCOURAGING, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JEREMY MATHEWS, SAID.

SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE APPROPRIATION BILL 1993 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, HE SAID AT THE SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL LEVEL, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAD 77 LOCAL LAWYERS OUT OF A TOTAL STRENGTH OF 141.

AT THE DIRECTORATE LEVEL, THERE WERE 10 LOCAL OFFICERS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 53.

"FIVE YEARS AGO, THE CORRESPONDING FIGURES WERE, FOR SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL, 20 LOCAL OFFICERS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 100, AND FOR DIRECTORATE, THREE LOCAL OFFICERS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 43, HE SAID.

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"SO WHILE MUCH IS STILL TO BE DONE, WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS LOCALISATION," HE ADDED.

IN

THE PAST, A KEY OBSTACLE LYING IN THE WAY OF LOCALISATION WAS THE FACT THAT PRIVATE PRACTICE IN HONG KONG WAS IN GENERAL MUCH MORE REWARDING IN MONETARY TERMS THAN GOVERNMENT SERVICE.

THIS CREATED DIFFICULTIES FOR LOCALISATION IN LEGAL DEPARTMENT IN TWO WAYS.

PRIVATE

FIRST,

IT MEANT THAT VERY FEW LOCAL LAWYERS WOULD WANT TO LEAVE PRACTICE TO JOIN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.

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SECONDLY IT MEANT THAT WE HAD DIFFICULTIES IN RETAINING OUR YOUNG LOCAL COUNSEL, AS MANY WERE TEMPTED TO LEAVE GOVERNMENT SERVICE SOON AFTER THEIR TRAINING WAS COMPLETED.

RECOGNISING ALL THESE PROBLEMS, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT INTRODUCED THE DOUBLE LADDER SCHEME IN DECEMBER 1988 TO HELP RETAIN LOCAL COUNSEL. THIS SCHEME ALLOWS LOCAL CROWN COUNSEL WHO HAVE IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL TO REACH SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL EARLY IN THEIR CAREERS.

THE SCHEME HAD HAD A NOTABLE SUCCESS IN HELPING THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO RETAIN LOCAL LAWYERS AND WASTAGE OF LOCAL COUNSEL HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.

ΤΟ SPEED UP LOCALISATION OF THE DIRECTORATE IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT POSTS SCHEME WAS INTRODUCED IN JUNE 1991.

ITS OBJECTIVE WAS TO GROOM ABLE LOCAL SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL THAT THEY COULD COMPETE MORE EFFECTIVELY FOR PROMOTION INTO DIRECTORATE.

SO

THE

MR MATHEWS SAID OWING TO ITS RELATIVELY SHORT HISTORY AND THE LENGTH OF THE GROOMING PERIOD INVOLVED, THE SCHEME WAS YET TO EXERT ITS FULL IMPACT ON LOCALISATION OF THE DIRECTORATE AND THAT TO DATE ONLY 18.9% OF DIRECTORATE OFFICERS IN THE DEPARTMENT WERE LOCALS.

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