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The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
Sir Noel Power's fine judicial conduct contributed greatly to enhancing public confidence in the Judiciary and the administration of justice, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew Kwok-nang Li said today (January 15) at a memorial service for the late Sir Noel who passed away in Brunei Darussalam on November 19 last year.
Delivering a eulogy, the Chief Justice said Sir Noel Power grew with the Judiciary and Hong Kong. For 34 years from 1965 to 1999, Sir Noel rendered dedicated and distinguished service to the people of Hong Kong as one of the most outstanding judges in recent decades, he said.
The Chief Justice noted that during this period, the Judiciary had grown substantially in size."The community has increasingly high expectations of their institutions of government, and the challenges which the Judiciary faces have grown in scale and complexity."
In the crucial year preceding re-unification with China in 1997, Sir Noel Power was Acting Chief Justice. After his retirement, he served as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal.
The Chief Justice said, "Noel had seen Chief Justices come and go. I am the sixth Chief Justice who had the privilege of serving with Noel. I shall forever be grateful to him for the wise counsel and the unstinting support he gave me.
"He had a fine intellect and was an outstanding lawyer. He displayed robust common sense and he had deep compassion, with a realistic appreciation of human nature and its fragilities. Above all, Noel had a strong sense of fairness and justice."
Sir Noel Power's judgments have provided authoritative guidance in many areas of the law and will remain a testament to his great contribution on the Bench, the Chief Justice said.
"He made a particularly signal contribution to our jurisprudence in the area of criminal law and procedure. As Vice-President of the Court of Appeal, he conducted the business of that court fairly and efficiently," the Chief Justice added.
"The judgments he gave illuminated the law. He scrutinised the lower court's judgment with great care in order to decide whether the appellant had had a fair trial, whether it was by judge with a jury or by judge alone. He also gave many leading judgments on sentencing, laying down principles and guidelines."
Noting that Sir Noel Power had an excellent judicial temperament, the Chief Justice said, "He gave everyone who appeared in his court, whether counsel or unrepresented litigant, a proper opportunity to present his case. Whatever be the result, everyone left his court fully satisfied that they had their fair day in court.
"Through his dedicated service on the Bench, he won the admiration of everyone and was held in the highest respect by all.
"On behalf of the Judiciary, I wish to convey our deepest condolences and sympathies to Lady Power and their children," the Chief Justice concluded.
Note
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The full text (English only) of a eulogy delivered by the Hon Chief Justice Andrew Kwok-nang Li at a memorial service for the late Sir Noel Power today (January 15) is attached.
Ends/Friday, January 15, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:36
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