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SCMP Reporter

The Department of Justice has launched a recruitment campaign following the resignation of one its most senior officers.

A department spokeswoman said David Little, who heads the international law division, has decided to quit for personal reasons after his contract expires in October.

He will be succeeded by Law Officer (Civil Law) Ian Wingfield. An open recruitment has been launched to fill the vacancy left by Mr Wingfield.

'This is to ensure the best candidate is found,' the spokeswoman said.

She said that open recruitments had been conducted in the past to fill the positions of Solicitor-General and Director of Public Prosecution.

The position was advertised in newspapers on Saturday.

The spokeswoman said government counsels at or above the rank of D3 could also apply. The post is at the rank of D6 with a monthly salary of $163,205. Mr Wingfield's deputy, Benedict Lai Ying-sie, has been tipped to take up the post.

Mr Lai was seconded to the Chief Executive's office before the handover to advise on legal matters.

A department senior official said the pool of experts on international law was small.

'Therefore, it is more necessary to conduct an open recruitment for the vacancy left by Mr Wingfield,' he said.

Legislator and barrister Audrey Eu Yuet-mee raised concerns that there may be a succession problem in the department.

'The department has not explained if it has failed to find anyone in the international law division to succeed Mr Little.

'It seems there is a succession problem. Last time, it took a long time to search for someone to fill the post of the Solicitor-General,' she said.

The department took more than two years to fill the vacancy of Solicitor-General when Daniel Fung Wah-kin quit in 1998.

The post was finally taken up by Robert Allcock through internal promotion.

Mr Little was appointed to his present post in 1996 after serving as the chief counsel at the Securities and Futures Commission for four years.



Recruitment launched after international law chief quits