TNAG-2374-FCO40-3449-Hong-Kong-nationality-UK-passport-scheme-British-Nationalit-1991 — Page 55

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The Hong Kong Bar Association

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Secretariat/ Library: LG 3/Floor. The Supreme Court, 38 Queensway, Hong Kong

Interchange No: DX-9099-IC

Telephone: 869 0210

Fax: 869 0189

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27 February 1991

The Rt. Hon. Douglas Hurd M.P.

The Minister of State

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Downing Street

London SW1A 2AH

United Kingdom

Dear Sir

By Fax:839 2417

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Comment

British Nationality Package

I write in connection with the British Nationality Package and the recent announcement that employees of some firms and companies will receive up to an additional 35 points by reason of their employment. In view of the terms of the announcement and the identities of the firms included I must ask that members of the Hong Kong Bar Association and in particular those who are members of one of the 4 London Inns of Court be given like treatment and be treated as if employed by one of the companies and firms listed.

The British undertakings as approved by the Government, which are in excess of 700, include all English firms of solicitors with branches in Hong Kong as well as the two largest local firms of solicitors. Solicitors who are partners in or employed by those firms constitute a significant proportion of practising solicitors eligible to apply under the Scheme. However, all practising members of the Bar by law and their code of conduct must be self-employed. As barristers have to compete with the other professionals within the Legal Professionals Group which includes predominantly solicitors, the implementation of this aspect of the Scheme at present has the undoubted effect of discriminating against all practising members of the Hong Kong Bar Association.

The avowed purpose of the Scheme is to give reassurance to persons who are considered to be essential to the well-being of Hong Kong in the run-up to 1997. Under the existing legal system, members of the Bar and those of the Law Society constitute two separate branches of the legal profession with clearly defined and distinct functions. Thus the preservation of the practising Bar, which at present has under 450 members but is out-numbered by the solicitors in the ratio of about 1:6, is indispensable to the

香港大律師公會

金鐘道38號高等法院低層三樓

Chairmen: Anthony G Rogers. Q C. 稳長

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Hon. Secretary & Treasurer: Denis G.O.C. Yu 名譽秘書及財政

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Administrative Secretary: Mrs Margaret W. Lam

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Bar Committee Members: 執行委員會會員

Miss Jacqueline Leong, Q.C. 県泳

Alan Hoo. Q.C..

Miss Gladys Li, Q.C.

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Robert Ribeiro, Q.C. **

Kenneth H.W. Kwok 郭慶偉

Winston Poon

番松輝

Michael Ozorio 歐文豪

Johannes Chan 陳文敏

Please Address All Correspondence to the Bar Secretariat

Andrew C. Macrae 麥機智

Alan Leong

梁家傑

Mrs Lisa Remedios 李吳維敏

Alfred Chan

陳洪慶