597958-1939-Supplementary-Draft-Bills--Supreme-Court-and-Full-Court-Ordinances-Amendment-Registration-of-Persons-Queen-Victoria-Street-Eastward-Reclamation-and-Piers-Hydrocarbon-Oils-Women-and-Girls-Amendment-Defence-Contribution — Page 1

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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Draft Bills.

No. 8. 109.-The following Bills are published for general information :—

A BILL

[No. 6-16.2.39.-1.]

Short title.

New section

10A added to Ordinance

No. 3 of

1873.

Professional

of future

INTITULED

An Ordinance to amend the law relating to the professional qualifications required in the case of Judges of the Supreme Court and Full Court.

BE it enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Supreme Court and Full Court Ordinances Amendment Ordinance, 1939.

2. The Supreme Court Ordinance, 1873, is amended by the insertion of the following new section after section 10 thereof :-

10A. No person shall be appointed to be Chief Justice, qualifications or Puisne Judge or a temporary additional judge or shall be deemed a fit and proper person to fill the office of the Chief Justice or of any Puisne Judge under section 9 or section 10 unless--

judges.

Amendment

of Ordinance No. 8 of 1933, s. 2 (4).

Ordinance No. 3 of 1873.

(i) he is qualified to practise as an advocate in a Court in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or some other part of His Majesty's dominions having unlimited jurisdiction either in civil or criminal matters, and

(ii) he has been qualified for not less than five years to practise as an advocate or solicitor in such a Court.

3. Sub-section (4) of section 2 of the Full Court. Ordin-- ance, 1933, is amended by the deletion of the words "or a barrister who has previously held or has acted in any judicial office in the Colony, or a barrister of not less than seven years standing, temporarily appointed by the Governor from time to time for the purpose of this Ordinance," and by the substitution thereof of the words "or a person with the qualifications for judicial office required by section 10A of the Supreme Court Ordinance, 1873, and appointed in accordance with the provisions of section 10 thereof."

Objects and Reasons.

1. The establishment of a Colonial Legal Service, the members of which are liable to transfer from one Colony to another, makes it important that the provisions of the law relating to the qualifications of Judges should be uniform throughout the Colonial Empire.