THE Government has thrown its weight behind the creation of a senior administrator post in the judiciary to ensure its efficient management, according to the Chief Secretary, Sir David Ford.
Sir David said during the resumed Budget debate yesterday that the idea also had support in principle from the Chief Justice, Sir Ti Liang Yang.
The call for the creation of the post was made by the Legislative Council's legal representative Mr Simon Ip Sik-on during the Budget debate last week.
Sir David said the operating environment of the judiciary in the 1990s was proving to be very different and difficult because of the increasing volume and complexity of court cases, increasing legal awareness of the community and rising public expectations about the standards of service provided by the judiciary.
''A new management culture is needed and greater expertise in resource and functional management is essential,'' he said.
''The appointment of a professional administrator to take charge of management in the judiciary under the direction of the Chief Justice is the first step to achieve improvements.'' Sir David was confident that definitive plans would be announced soon.