A proposal to establish an academy to train lawyers in specialised areas most in demand in the SAR has won the support of the head of the University of Hong Kong's law school. Professor Albert Chen Hung-yee, faculty dean of law, said such an academy was needed to train highly specialised lawyers in areas such as intellectual property, corporate finance and maritime law. The proposal by the Law Society has been adopted by government consultants in a review report. 'Traditionally, local law firms only concentrate on basic legal work, such as conveyancing,' Professor Chen said. 'They lack expertise in complex issues like corporate financial laws, which are mainly done by US- or UK-based firms.' The professor suggested the academy should be set up in a joint effort between the university, the Law Society and the Bar Association. The consultants' preliminary review on Legal Education and Training in Hong Kong said the SAR must train more highly skilled lawyers in addition to importing overseas specialists. They recommended that serious consideration be given to the law academy and that it should be funded by the Government. They also suggested the current three-year law degree programme be extended to four years, but that the one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Law course, established in 1972, be scrapped. Professor Chen, however, was opposed to abolishing the postgraduate course. cywan@scmp.com
