TNAG-1922-FCO40-2727-Future-of-the-judiciary-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 125

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We feel therefore that we have been severely discriminated against. The

frustration among our members over the great disparity in career prospects

Interpreters and the Chinese Language Officers is becoming

between the Court

increasingly uncontainable.

the

Quite apart from the obligation to look after the interest of its own staff,

administration owes a duty to the public to ensure that a strong and healthy

body of Court Interpreters is built up to assist in the administration of

justice. To attain this objective, terms of employment should be such as would

attract candidates of the right calibre to join and encourage competent

interpreters to remain in the Judiciary. The existing unfair treatment would

only frustrate the morale of the Court Interpreters and in turn cause greater

problems in the recruitment and retention of Court Interpreters. It would be

unwise for the administration to ignore all these. If this undesirable situation

is allowed to drag

on, the quality of the Court Interpreters will unavoidably

become lower which is something that the Judiciary would certainly not like to

see.

over the

procrastination

of the

Our members have shown utter dismay

administration in dealing with our grievance. Our patience has now been

stretched to the limit. It was resolved at an Extraordinary General Meeting held

by us on 6 th December 1988 that industrial action will be resorted to if the

administration fails to map out a concrete plan for the improvement of our career

structure. The independent Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and

Conditions of Service, whose impartiality and integrity, we are sure, will not be

questioned by anyone, categorized the Court Interpreters grade as one primarily

for degree holders and as one being on a par with and comparable to the Chinese

Language Officers grade. Terms of employment and career prospects for these two

grades should therefore be the same. We therefore, plead with you, Sir, for our

career structure to be overhauled in order to raise our chance of advancement to

the controller, chief and senior ranks to a level in line with, if not higher

than that for the Chinese Language Officers.