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The Prosecutions Division of the Department of Justice today (April 27) held the "Environmental Law Conference 2012: Enforcement and Awareness", which was attended by more than 80 participants, including prosecutors, legal practitioners, scholars and representatives from environmental organisations.
The conference was aimed at promoting awareness of environmental law and strengthening the enforcement of it.
In delivering the welcoming address, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Kevin Zervos, SC, said, "The environment is important to all of us. It is imperative that we have an enforcement regime that deals with environment protection and planning. The irreversible finality of something lost or damaged beyond repair can never be underestimated."
The keynote speaker Professor Simon Molesworth, QC, who is a prominent and internationally recognised environmental lawyer and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International National Trusts Organisation, shared his vision for the future of environmental law in a global community.
Other panellists included representative of the Law Society of Hong Kong, Mr Christopher Tung and Chief Prosecution Officer of the Environmental Protection Department, Mr James Kenneth Pong.
Major issues discussed during the conference included the effectiveness of the current regime in policing and monitoring abuses to the environment, the future tackling of environmental offending in the context of a policy of sustainable development and the pros and cons of setting up an Environment Court in Hong Kong.
Ends/Friday, April 27, 2012
Issued at HKT 21:59
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