The total establishment of magistrates in Hong Kong is 46. There are two vacancies at the moment. You may be intérested in the following breakdown of the countries from which the remaining 44 magistrates come:
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
Irish Republic
13
3
2
0 0 03 AZ10 ¦ CO | CO
7
5
Australia
New Zealand
Hong Kong
6
Overseas Chinese
1
Total:
44
As you will see, there are at present only 6 local magistrates. It is the policy of the Hong Kong Government that, all things being equal, offers of appointment should be made to local candidates. The Chief Justice is particularly anxious to recrnit local Cantonese speaking magistrates but few candid- ates have come forward over the last few years and of those a good many have left the judiciary to retur to private practice. In due course the Hong Kong Law School will help to improve this situation but buis is unlikely to happen for a number of years. I understand that almost all the graduates are secking to be admitted as solicitors and the volume of Work in private practice is such that most of the graduates will for many years hence be absorbed b). that branch of the profession.
The Chief Justice is of the opinion that the standard of magistrates in Hong Kong has never becu higher and that their individual professional
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