TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 171

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

19 July 1989

香港立法局

一九八九年七月十九日

58

SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION (1988-89) BILL 1989

Resumption of debate on Second Reading which was moved on 5 July 1989

Question on the Second Reading of the Bill proposed, put and agreed to.

Bill read the Second time.

Bill committed to a Committee of the whole Council pursuant to Standing Order 43(1).

LEGAL PRACTITIONERS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1989

Resumption of debate on Second Reading which was moved on 15 February 1989

Question on Second Reading proposed.

MR. EDWARD HO: Sir, an ad hoc group was set up under this Council to scrutinize the Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 1989 and the Legal Officers (Amendment) Bill 1989. As convener of the ad hoc group, I wish to express my appreciation to members of the ad hoc group for their support, as well as to pay a special tribute to the Administration and members of the Law Society and the Bar Association for some very constructive and conscientious discussions and consultations resulting in substantial agreement on a number of points. This has enabled the ad hoc group to conclude its task very efficiently and belie the belief that lawyers seldom agree.

The Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 1989, which gives effect to most of the recommendations of the UMELCO Standing Panel on Security and the Chief Justice's committee on the admission and practising criteria for barristers and solicitors in Hong Kong and on the admission of certain Commonwealth qualified legal officers into private practice, is an important piece of legislation. The ad hoc group formed under this Council to study the Bill sees its mission both as a guardian of the interest of the experienced legal officers concerned in providing them with a fair chance to practise privately, and a guardian of the public interest in ensuring that the community continue to obtain the very high standard of legal service they now enjoy.