The Judiciary
Annual Report 2007 has a new format. Previously,
our Annual Report contained a description of the
work of the Judiciary. This information will no
longer be set out in our Annual Report. We are
issuing a new publication entitled ��Hong Kong
Judiciary�� which will provide this information.
It will be available to visitors to the Judiciary
and need not be revised for about five years.
The same information is already available on our Website.
2. From this year onwards,
our Annual Report will concentrate on the developments
and events during the year in question, together
with the relevant statistics. In an effort to contribute
to the protection of the environment, we will no
longer publish a paper version of the Annual Report.
It will only be uploaded on our Website.
The Court of
Final Appeal
3. 2007 is a
year of significance. We celebrated the 10th anniversary
of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region. At the same time, the Court
of Final Appeal has reached the milestone of the
end of its first decade as our own final appellate
court. The Court is judged by the quality of its
jurisprudence. While that quality is best judged
by others, I have every confidence that the Court
has made good progress in establishing its stature
within and outside Hong Kong.
Civil Justice
Reform
4. In 2007, Civil
Justice Reform continues to be an important
area of our work. Under the Steering Committee
on Civil Justice
Reform, we consolidated the relevant legislative
amendments under one Bill entitled Civil
Justice (Miscellaneous Amendment) Bill 2007.
The Bill was gazetted in March for introduction
into the Legislative Council in April. Revised
proposals to amend seven sets of subsidiary
legislation were also issued in October. The proposed
legislative amendments are now being scrutinized
by the Legislature. This complete set of legislative
amendments will form the necessary framework for
the implementation of the Reform. After the legislative
framework is in place, we need to conduct training
of judges and support staff and to prepare the
necessary infrastructure. The plan is to bring
the Reform into operation in about the start of
the second quarter in 2009.
Mediation
5. Having regard
to the growing importance of mediation as an alternative
method of dispute resolution, a Working
Party on Mediation was set up in January to
look into how consensual mediation of civil disputes
in the Court of First Instance, the District Court
and the Lands Tribunal may be facilitated. As
a result of its work, we are launching a pilot
scheme on mediation for building management cases
in the Lands Tribunal starting in January 2008.
The details and procedures are contained in the Direction
issued by the President of the Lands Tribunal The Judiciary will continue to work with stakeholders
to promote mediation as an alternative means for
dispute resolution in appropriate areas.
Solicitors'
Rights of Audience
6. The subject
of Solicitors' Rights of Audience has been much
debated over the years. In October, the Working
Party set up in 2004 to consider the issue
finalized its Report and recommends that an Assessment
Board should be established to deal with granting
higher rights of audience to suitably qualified
solicitors. I accepted the Report's recommendations
and referred them to the Secretary for Justice
in November to request the Administration to consider
the matter and take it forward by appropriate
legislation.
Relocation of
the Labour Tribunal
7. To enhance
its efficiency and provide better facilities to
court users, the Labour Tribunal was relocated
to the South Kowloon Law Courts Building in late
December and will commence operation at the new
premises in January 2008. The new premises are
designed to suit the Tribunal's requirements.
There is separate access for Presiding Officers,
staff and members of the public as in all other
court buildings. More spacious waiting areas,
discussion rooms and registries, as well as designated
space for wheelchairs at courtrooms for physically
handicapped court users are provided.
Chief Justices'
Conference
8. We hosted
the 12th Conference
of Chief Justices of Asia and the Pacific in June. This is the first time this Conference
is held in Hong Kong. Over 30 Chief Justices,
including Chief Justice Xiao Yang from Mainland
China, and their representatives met to exchange
views and share their experience on various issues
in the administration of justice. It was a most
successful Conference.
Judiciary Administration
9. The Judiciary
Administration continues to strive to provide
quality services in support of the administration
of justice. We are delighted that the Court Orders
Section of the Judiciary Administration obtained
the ISO 9001:2000 certification for quality management
system in May while the Registries of the Lands
Tribunal and the Small Claims Tribunal and General
Offices of six Magistrates' Courts achieved good
results in the 2007 surveillance audits for ISO
certification. The Judiciary Administration was
also awarded the Ombudsman's Awards 2007 for Departments
and Organisations in recognition of our support
to the cause of improving the quality of service
and promoting fairness in public administration.
10. We hope you
will enjoy reading this Report and gain a better
understanding of our work during 2007.
Andrew Li
Chief Justice |