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The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
The Judiciary will implement a five-day week in three phases starting from July 1, 2006.
Having regard to the policy initiative proposed by the Administration and that Judiciary Administration staff are essentially civil servants, the Chief Justice decided in principle to adopt a five-day working week for the Judiciary and a consultation paper was issued to Judges and Judicial Officers, staff in the Judiciary Administration, the legal profession and other court users in April.
After considering the views received, the Judiciary has decided on a three-phase implementation of a five-day week.
Phase one will begin on July 1, 2006, under which a five-day week will apply to court sittings and back offices without any interface with members of the public.
No court sittings will be listed on Saturdays, except for admission ceremonies for senior counsel, barristers and solicitors in the High Court, hearings fixed by individual Judges or where statute provides for Saturday hearings. A new Saturday sitting roster arrangement would be introduced in the Magistrates' Courts to deal with fresh remand cases.
Phase two will begin on January 1, 2007. The services to be covered are essentially those which have a public interface but there is no need for legislative amendments, such as information counters and public enquiry services.
Phase three would cover services with a public interface where the implementation of a five-day week will require legislative amendments to primary and/or subsidiary legislation. These services include Court Registries and general offices of Magistrates' Courts, Accounts Offices, Bailiffs' Offices, Probate Registry and Oaths and Declarations Office.
The implementation of phase three and its timing would depend on the completion of the necessary amendments to legislation.
The Judiciary will continue to maintain close liaison with the legal profession, other court users and the public on the implementation of the five-day week and keep all concerned parties informed of the progress.
Ends/Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:04
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