XN000022-1993-07-21 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1993

"IN

6

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, I PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS TO REALIGN DISTRICT BOUNDARIES FOR CONSULTATION DISTRICT BOARDS.

SEVERAL WITH THE

THE YAU "MY MAIN AREA OF CONSULTATION INCLUDED THE MERGER OF

PROPOSALS OTHER

REALIGNING THE TSIM AND

KOK DISTRICTS, AND MONG

TIN, BOUNDARIES OF THE ISLANDS, TSUEN WAN, KWAI TSING, SAI KUNG, SHA WAN CHAI AND EASTERN DISTRICTS.

*AS A RESULT OF THIS OPEN CONSULTATION PROCESS, ACCOUNT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY DB MEMBERS.

WE TOOK INTO

"WE TOOK STOCK OF THE SITUATION TO RECONSIDER OUR POSITION VERY RIPE CAREFULLY AND WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE TIMING WAS NOT FOR SOME OF THOSE PROPOSALS.

THE BEST

"HOWEVER, WE WERE CONVINCED THAT THE CASE TO MERGE THE YAU TSIM

AND WAS JUSTIFIED

WOULD BE IN MONG KOK DISTRICTS

MR SUEN SAID. INTERESTS OF THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE,

AND

0

HK HAS A WELL-ESTABLISHED LEGAL AID SYSTEM: CS

KONG HONG

WHEREBY LEGAL

* * * * *

PLACE

WELL-ESTABLISHED

SYSTEM

BY THE LEGAL AID NEEDS OF THE FORD, SAID IN THE

HAS ALREADY IN

A IS EFFICIENTLY ADMINISTERED AID DEPARTMENT AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION TO CATER FOR THE CLIENTS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

BY THE HON WINDING UP THE MOTION DEBATE ON LEGAL AID MOVED SIMON IP, SIR DAVID SAID THE EXISTING LEGAL AID SYSTEM WAS INDEPENDENT ADVICE AND IN PRACTICE IN THAT NEITHER THE DEPARTMENT NOR THE LEGAL DUTY LAWYER SCHEMES OPERATED BY THE LEGAL PROFESSION WERE SUBJECT OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE.

TO

"ANY PROBLEM

Th

THE LEGAL SIR DAVID SAID.

AID

THE INDEPENDENT IMAGE OF ABOUT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG IS ONE OF PERCEPTION,

NOT

HOWEVER, SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS IN A POSITION TO TAKE ANY FIRM VIEW ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF LEGAL AID ADMINISTRATION AT THIS STAGE, IN ORDER NOT TO PREJUDGE THE OUTCOME OF THE CURRENT PUBLIC CONSULTATION.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY MEMBERS DURING THIS DEBATE, TOGETHER WITH WILL BE TAKEN OTHER RESPONSES TO THE CONSULTATIVE PAPER ON LEGAL AID,

THE FINAL INTO

BY ACCOUNT RECOMMENDATIONS, HE SAID.

THE ADMINISTRATION

IN

FORMULATING

IT WAS

NOTING THAT THE LEGAL PROFESSION HAD EMPHASISED THAT

BE IMPORTANT THAT THE LEGAL AID ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE PERCEIVED TO

WORKING INDEPENDENT,

GROUP, SIR

INTER-DEPARTMENTAL DAVID SAID THE

AID SYSTEM, HAD WHICH CARRIED OUT A REVIEW ON THE EXISTING LEGAL

ENHANCE THE PERCEPTION OF CAREFULLY CONSIDERED

THREE OPTIONS TO

INDEPENDENCE OF LEGAL AID ADMINISTRATION.

/* OPTION (A)