TNAG-1449-FCO40-1953-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 105

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Question No. 12

Written Reply by

The Hon. Michael Thomas, CMG, XC, Attorney General

to a question from Dr. the Hon. Conrad LAM in the Legislative Council Meeting on 25 .6 .86

Question:

Will Government inform this Council whether there is a problem of shortage of practising lawyers in Hong Kong, and if

SO:

(a) how severe this shortage is;

(b)

whether the shortage is in the private or the public sector, or both;

(c)

whether the shortage is an overall one covering all legal fields or confined to a few areas only;

(a) how this shortage of lawyers has

affected the public in terms of

(e)

(i)

the availability of legal services in the territory; and

(ii) the cost of such services;

what steps Government will take to improve the situation?

Reply :

Sir,

It is not easy to state whether there is a shortage of

practising lawyers in Hong Kong. In recent years, there has been a substantial rise in the business of the Courts, the property

sector and the commercial activity of Hong Kong. But there has also been a consistent rise in the number of barristers

/...

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