XN000022-1995-06-14 — Page 29

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"Clauses 24 and 33 make it possible for appeals to the Court of Final Appeal to be made outside the normal period of 28 days if leave is obtained. This will enable the court to hear appeals from decisions made in the period shortly before the transfer of sovereignty," he said.

Transitional provisions under Clause 49 are set out in Part IV of the Bill which contains miscellaneous provisions. Other Parts of the Bill set out provisions for the establishment of the Court, and provisions in respect of civil appeals and criminal appeals respectively.

End/Wednesday, June 14, 1995

Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Bill

Following is the speech of the Attorney General, the Hon Jeremy Mathews, in moving the second reading of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Bill in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President.

I move the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Bill be read the second time. This Bill provides the legislative framework for setting up the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong.

The Sino-British Agreement

Last Friday, 9 June, Members of this Council were briefed by the Governor about the agreement we had reached with the Chinese side on the question of the Court of Final Appeal, immediately after the agreement had formally been signed by the Senior Representatives of the Joint Liaison Group. The Governor commended the agreement to this Council as an agreement which serves the best interests of Hong Kong. Our objective has always been to find an acceptable way of ensuring the continuity of the rule of law in Hong Kong through the transition in 1997. Our major aim in this process was to safeguard two key principles that the Court of Final Appeal should be a proper Court of Final Appeal and that there should not be a damaging judicial vacuum in 1997. The agreement we have now concluded safeguards both these important points.

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