The provisional legislature could face legal challenges designed to hamper the SAR government, Secretary of Justice-designate Elsie Leung Oi-sie warned yesterday. She said litigants might wish to challenge the validity of the interim body 'for political and other reasons'. Ms Leung told the inaugural dinner of the Hong Kong Young Legal Professionals Association that she expected 'constitutional challenges to the provisional legislature, the legality of anything done prior to June 30, 1997, and the interpretation and the interface of the Basic Law'. Ms Leung said the territory was accustomed to the common law system and had little experience in the litigation of constitutional law. But she said: 'As from July 1, 1997, we may have to pursue or resist claims on constitutional grounds and we must equip ourselves with the technique in the interpretation of the Basic Law.' To ensure the success of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, she said the rule of law, judicial independence and an independent legal profession must be maintained. The association was formed as a bridge between young legal professionals in Hong Kong and those in the mainland.