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The Secretary for Justice, Mr Wong Yan Lung, SC, will depart Hong Kong tonight (October 1) for a five-day visit to London, Stockholm, Helsinki and Dublin in Europe.
In London, Mr Wong will meet with the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, the Rt Hon Jack Straw, and members of the Hong Kong Association who are key figures from the business and legal sectors to brief them on Hong Kongˇ¦s latest developments.
He will also be called as a Master of the Bench of the Middle Temple, together with the former Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (1993 to 1996) and Solicitor General of the Department of Justice (1992 to 1993) of Hong Kong, Mr Bertrand de Speville.
Mr Wong will fly to Stockholm on October 3, where he will meet the Swedish Minister of Justice, Ms Beatrice Ask. He will deliver a keynote speech titled ˇ§Hong Kong as Asiaˇ¦s World City ˇV The Legal Perspectiveˇ¨ at a reception for local Government officials and representatives from the business and legal field.
Before departing for Helsinki, Mr Wong will meet with the Chairman and Members of the Arbitration Centre of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce to brief them on Hong Kongˇ¦s credentials as a regional arbitration.
On the third leg of the visit in Helsinki, Mr Wong will sign an agreement between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Finland on Mutual Legal Assistance in criminal matters. He will also pay a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to Finland, Mrs Ma Keqing.
On October 5 in Dublin, Mr Wong will sign an agreement between HKSAR and the Republic of Ireland on Surrender of Fugitive Offenders. He will also meet with government officials, members of the business community, legal profession and academic.
He will return to Hong Kong the same evening.
Ends/Monday, October 1, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:01
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