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them into effect. These include a wider use of Cantonese in Magistrates' Courts and quasi-judicial bodies of comparable rank; a glossary of legal terms to be compiled in Chinese and English; a list of titles, together with a brief description of existing ordinances and subsidiary legislation, to be published in Chinese; publication in Chinese of explanatory booklets on the more important ordinances; pleadings made by litigants not legally represented to be accepted in either English or Chinese (but for the purpose of appeals and in the case of discrepancy, the English version should. prevail); all statements to be taken down in the language in which they are made; and statutory forms, government licences and certificates prescribed by law in both English and Chinese to be equally authoritative.
The recommendation which was not accepted concerned the translation into Chinese of the Laws of Hong Kong. For a variety of reasons, some of principle and others of sheer practicality, it was considered that the translation of the Laws of Hong Kong cannot be regarded as essential, and that it would be more practicable to concentrate on publishing booklets on ordinances affecting the daily life of the public rather than to attempt to translate all the laws of Hong Kong. However, special arrangements are to be made to publish in both English and Chinese important bills and ordinances which are of wide public interest. As with the recommendations in the Second Report, the rate of implementation of the above recommendations depend very much on the recruitment and training of the staff required to carry them out. The recommendations of the Second Report have been given priority in this respect as they affect a larger section of the community.
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