(Macao – 16 October 2004) Chief Executive Mr. Edmund Ho Hau Wa has called for the promotion of the use of Chinese language in the courts. Speaking at the opening ceremony of 2004/2005 Judicial Year, Mr. Ho said that after the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the courts and the Public Prosecutions Office have been working independently, and have examined various types of criminal cases that helped stabilise public order and harmonised social-economic environment. He praised the legal departments for operating strictly under the “one country, two systems” spirit exercising the powers endowed by the Basic Law that ensured and promoted the effective operation of the judiciary system, laying a foundation for perfecting the judiciary system in the future. Mr Ho said an effective and high quality judiciary system is an important tool in ensuring citizen’s rights and freedom. He said he expected all legal practitioners to contribute their highly responsible and selfless spirit for the good of the community. On the use of Chinese in the judiciary area, Mr. Ho said it was quite late to start the relevant education and studies, structure of the judicial officer, judicial support staff and law might not meet the need required by the society. He urged all professionals, including the academic and legal sectors, to support the judicial organs in promoting the generalisation of Chinese language in the courts. He stressed that the Macao SAR Government would fully support the judicial organs and jointly work with the legislative organs to perfect the legal system. The President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr. Sam Hou Fai, said the use of Chinese language in the judiciary had been improved. He acknowledged that the judiciary had to solve the existing problems and enhance its quality and efficiency quickly, and he expected to launch a series of reforms and measures early next year to cope with the demand of the public. The Public Prosecutor-General, Mr. Ho Chio Meng, said the Public Prosecutions Office had used more Chinese in trials in the past judicial year. His office would fight crime with new strategies and provide very high standard of services to the public in the coming judicial year. President of the Macau Lawyers Association, Mr. Jorge Neto Valente, said the efficiency and the quality of verdicts made by the Court of Final Appeal and Court of Second Instance have safeguarded the judiciary. However, there is room for improvement in the Court of First Instance, he said.
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