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The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary :

The Judiciary announced today (Friday) the appointment of His Honour Judge Richard Neville HAWKES as Chief Judge of the District Court with effect from 19 March 1999.

The biographical note of His Honour Judge Hawkes is as follows :

Judge Hawkes was born in New Zealand in 1940 and was educated at the Victoria University of Wellington. He was admitted as Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand in 1968. He joined the Hong Kong Legal Department as Crown Counsel in 1978, then joined the Hong Kong Judiciary as Magistrate in 1981. He was appointed District Judge in 1991 and was appointed the Acting Chief Judge of the District Court on a number of occasions between 1995 and 1999.

End/Friday, March 19, 1999

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