XN000022-1994-10-26 — Page 34

18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994

OUR

OUT

IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO USE THE CHINESE LANGUAGE IN ALL COURTS NOT ONLY IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE BASIC LAW BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE ARE FIRST A COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SPEAK CHINESE AS A

IN THIS LANGUAGE.

SESSION INTEND TO INTRODUCE WE THEREFORE

OF CHINESE LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS WHICH WILL SEEK TO ALLOW THE USE

BEEN ENACTED, LANGUAGE IN HIGHER COURTS. ONCE THESE AMENDMENTS HAVE

CHINESE IN THE CHIEF JUSTICE INTENDS TO IMPLEMENT THE USE OF COURTS ON A PHASED BASIS ACCORDING TO REALISTIC TIMETABLES WORKED BY A STEERING COMMITTEE. THIS COMMITTEE INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES

AND WILL ADVISE THE THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND OTHER CONCERNED PARTIES,

IN CHIEF JUSTICE ON THE OVERALL IMPLEMENTATION ON THE USE OF CHINESE,

WE ARE FULLY ADDITION TO ENGLISH, IN THE DISTRICT COURT AND ABOVE.

OUR AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTIES AND COMPLEXITY OF THE TASK BEFORE US AS

FOUNDED ON THE LEGAL SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE COMMON LAW, WHICH IS

STEP-BY- LANGUAGE. WE WILL THEREFORE BE TAKING A PRAGMATIC,

ENGLISH STEP APPROACH.

OF

THE

CONSIDERATION.

A PRACTICABLE

THE CHIEF JUSTICE'S STEERING COMMITTEE HAS SET UP A STUDY GROUP SIMULTANEOUS ΤΟ LOOK INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF INTRODUCING A SYSTEM OF INTERPRETATION IN OUR COURTS. SUCH A SYSTEM HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY BAR ASSOCIATION AND WILL BE GIVEN SERIOUS AND CAREFUL IT

TOO EARLY, AT THIS STAGE, TO SAY WHETHER IT IS

MEMBERS THAT SOLUTION. HOWEVER, I WISH TO REASSURE MR IP AND OTHER WHILE WE RECOGNISE THE DESIRABILITY AND INEVITABILITY OF USING CHINESE THE IN THE COURTS, THERE IS NO INTENTION THAT THIS SHOULD BE DONE AT

WHAT WE ARE SEEKING TO EXPENSE OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. ACHIEVE IS TO PROVIDE LITIGANTS WITH THE OPTION OF USING CHINESE THE HIGHER COURTS. THE PROCESS OF ACHIEVING THIS GOAL WILL BE GREATLY

OF

TEXTS THE

OF AUTHENTIC CHINESE ASSISTED BY

GROWING VOLUME ORDINANCES, AND BY THE PRODUCTION IN MARCH NEXT YEAR OF THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF GLOSSARIES OF BILINGUAL LEGAL TERMINOLOGY.

IN

THE TRANSITION

SYSTEM

OPERATES

то MY NEXT THE USE OF CHINESE LEADS ME THIS

OF DISCUSSION

ENSURE TOPIC, NAMELY ARRANGEMENTS NEEDED FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD TO

THE

OF SMOOTHLY AFTER THAT OUR LEGAL SOVEREIGNTY.

TRANSFER

THE

PROGRESS

OF

THE

LOCALISATION

AND

ADAPTATION

OF

LAWS

PROGRAMME WAS DISCUSSED BY SOME MEMBERS. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT LOCAL LEGISLATION BE

ΤΟ ENACTED

LAWS REPLACE RELEVANT BRITISH

OR ORDERS IN APPLICABLE ΤΟ HONG KONG THROUGH ACTS OF PARLIAMENT COUNCIL WHICH CANNOT SURVIVE 1997. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT EXISTING THIS HONG KONG LAWS WHICH DO NOT CONFORM TO THE BASIC LAW BE ADAPTED. IS ESSENTIAL FOR MAINTAINING THE LEGAL STRUCTURE OF HONG KONG AND TO MY COLLEAGUE, PREVENT GAPS IN THE LAWS ARISING AFTER 30 JUNE 1997. THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS WILL SPEAK LATER ON THE WORK

THIS OF

STAGE SUFFICE IT FOR ME TO SAY AT THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP.

NECESSARY LEGAL THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WILL ENSURE THAT ALL THE

I HAVE INCREASED PAPER

BE COMPLETED IN GOOD TIME. WILL WORK NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF ENGAGED IN THIS WORK FROM TWO TO SIX.

I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE TASK

FAR, OUR WORK IS ON SCHEDULE. COMPLETED BEFORE 1 JULY 1997.

THE

SO

CAN

BE

/MR SIMON