Public opinion totally ignored
THE Preliminary Working Committee's (PWC) proposal to overturn key elements of the Bill of Rights has generated grave public concern throughout the territory.
Many politicians and analysts have commented on this proposal and I would like to add my comments from the stance of a form seven student.
For a number of years now, it has been my ambition to become a lawyer. I have put law as my first course choice in my application to the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS).
However, the PWC's proposal on the Bills of Rights has further undermined Hong Kong people's confidence in the rule of law and in particular, it has undermined my hopes of pursuing the law as a profession.
If laws can be amended or removed at the whims of a minority, without taking into consideration the wishes of the public, then the legal system can no longer be trusted or respected.
Public opinion has been totally ignored with regard to the Bill of Rights and even if it is removed by the Provisional Legislative Council in 1997, this removal will not be recognised by the public at large.
Studying and working towards a career is a huge investment, in terms of time and money.
An undergraduate has to study at university for five years before qualifying as a lawyer.
I would not mind, having graduated, to then have to sit some exam decreed by China, because of changes it had made to the legal system. But what I could not tolerate would be the lack of respect that China would likely show to lawyers.
I may now choose to study a more pragmatic subject, such as business administration.
E. YUEN New Territories
