bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Cheap and unfair attack on ex-prosecutors
Your report ('Challenges for new chief justice as he takes over', September 1) quoted an anonymous criminal barrister who seemed to be saying that Mr Justice Frank Stock and Mr Justice Michael Hartmann of the Court of Appeal were pro-prosecution because they were former prosecutors. That was a cheap shot. It was gutless and it was unfair. 
It was a cheap shot because Justices Stock and Hartmann can't hit back. It was gutless because the criminal barrister hid in the shadows of anonymity. It was unfair because it overlooks some obvious facts. Prosecuting does not require the prosecutor to become some messianic, blinkered, card-carrying believer that only prosecution witnesses tell the truth, that the police/Independent Commission Against Corruption would never prosecute an innocent person and would never listen to a contrary view. 
Okay, I accept there are some prosecutors like that, but a nanosecond's worth of inquiry would reveal that Justices Stock and Hartmann as prosecutors did not begin to fit that description. A criminal barrister should know that over the years ex-prosecutors - refugees from the Department of Justice - make up a substantial portion of the criminal Bar. 
Many such refugees have made the leap from the Bar to become judges in Hong Kong. Criminal barristers - whether department refugees or otherwise - do not believe that all their clients are innocent and the police/ICAC only prosecute the innocent. One assumes on the logic of your anonymous criminal barrister that judges who had only defended would acquit in every case that came before them. 
I have to declare an interest. I once worked as a prosecutor in the Department of Justice but, as it happens, all of my clients are innocent. Having had the experience of prosecuting is invaluable when sitting as a judge in criminal cases. So is the experience of defending in criminal cases, but what is really critical is legal knowledge and, most importantly, a preparedness to see both sides and to make an impartial judgment.
A real criminal barrister would know just how utterly fatuous your source's assertions about Justices Stock and Hartmann really are. They have been wrongly and unfairly accused. That's what real criminal barristers are supposed to fight against every day. 
Andrew Bruce, Central
Aim for vibrant waterfront
I have two suggestions for the government. Firstly, if you look at the waterfront from Sham Tseng to Lei Yue Mun, you will see that there is not one restaurant. 
Now imagine a wide pedestrian area with cycle lanes and plenty of al fresco dining opportunities. 
How attractive that would be to residents and tourists alike, and what a great way to put the harbour back into the centre of the community's consciousness, where it should be. At present, the nearest we have to this dream is the Tsuen Wan West area, but even there cycling is not yet permitted and there are no restaurants.
Secondly, I applaud Green Sense's proposal to use ceiling fans ('Green group asks city to give air con the flick', August 31). I look forward to government advertising promoting them. Using these would be an excellent way to start reducing the heat in the urban area  and reduce energy consumption at the same time. 
My young family have used ceiling fans exclusively for five years without apparent harm and slashed our energy bills as a result. The only downside as far as I can see is that we have to avoid the icy conditions in certain public places, as the extreme temperature range makes us more susceptible to colds and chills.
Tim Woodward, Kwai Chung
Journalists were out of order
I could not agree more with Alice Wu that the media  offended little Tracey Wong Cheuk-yiu by interviewing her at her bedside even though they knew both of her parents had been gunned down in the tragedy in Manila ('A scoop too far', September 6). 
This was outrageous behaviour and I feel pity for this girl.  
The editors of these news organisations have to set up and adhere to codes of practice so that something like this does not happen again.  
Those journalists who interviewed Tracey at that difficult time owe her an apology.  
Anita Wong, Tsuen Wan
Turn mansion into museum
I refer to the report ('Restorers achieve a Mid-Levels Renaissance', September 3).  
The government must take good care of  the King Yin Lei mansion. 
We do not want to see a repeat of what happened when it was badly damaged.  
I think the best use for the mansion would be as a museum, given that it is a traditional Chinese building. However, it could be a multifunction facility. The museum could focus on traditional Chinese styles of buildings with talks offered to the public.
I would also like to see somewhere in the mansion where people could go to have a coffee, read a book and enjoy the beautiful view.  
Katy Chui Ho-suet, Yuen Long 
Try out English at tourist sites
I could not agree more with Albert Cheng King-hon ('To learn English, get over the fear of using it', September 1). 
The English standard of Hong Kong students has deteriorated since the 1990s. Many Hongkongers lack the confidence to talk to foreigners in English.  
Teachers could organise more activities for their students so they have first-hand experience of English. For instance, they could go to tourist attractions and volunteer to act as guides to visitors. This would help them to improve their spoken English.  
Only through practising the language will more young people be able to become bilingual, or even trilingual.  
Kathy Chau Ka-ying, Kwun Tong
Language tips for learners
Albert Cheng King-hon  was spot-on with his remark on the English learning culture in Hong Kong ('To learn English, get over the fear of using it', September 1). It is not the lack of exposure to the language, but the fear of using it, that contributes most to the current deplorable standard of English in Hong Kong. 
Learning a language, as I always tell my students, is more about getting used to using it than merely knowing about it. When learning a new word or a new expression, it's not enough that you know what it means or where it goes in a sentence, but you have to incorporate it in your own speech, in your own writing, to the extent that it becomes not only part of your knowledge but part of you. 
To do that, learners need to constantly put themselves in situations where they have to write it, and what's more important, speak it.
Siu Hoi-yat, Yuen Long
Improve levels of vigilance
China has suffered from the label of being a country  that has an abundance of fake and sometimes tainted products.  Examples include  fake sportswear and handbags, and when it comes to harmful food products, melamine in milk powder for babies.  
Fake goods are sold in violation of  intellectual property rights. They do not harm us physically,  it is altogether different when it comes to tainted food.  This is very serious, especially when it threatens the lives of innocent infants.  
Of course, consumers on the mainland can play their part to curb unscrupulous business practices. They need to practise vigilance when choosing products. They should check the contents label.  However, this may be difficult where the shopper is elderly or illiterate.  
Therefore, the authorities must step up their supervision of the manufacturing process and enforcement procedures. The central government should appoint more officials to test products frequently, especially food items.  
Also, intellectual property laws should be strictly enforced. This can be done through education. Mainland citizens must be made aware of the importance of these laws.  
Chan Lai-man, Kwun Tong
Good feedback from firms
I refer to items on successive days in Lai See about  a lunch the Trade Development Council organised on Saturday for the visiting president of  Ukraine and his business delegation ('All at sea', September 3 and 'TDC all at sea over invitations to meet Ukrainian president', September 4).
Lai See said we had omitted two Hong Kong companies with Ukrainian connections from the guest list.
We worked closely with the Ukrainian authorities on the guest list. It is our usual practice to target businesses from sectors that a visiting delegation is most interested in. 
We also include Hong Kong companies that have shown an interest in TDC activities relating to the market in question. Of course, we also welcome any expressions of interest from Hong Kong companies keen to be included.
Our primary aim for a lunch of this kind is to create business opportunities for the Hong Kong companies attending. The feedback we had from many of the 150 Hong Kong guests suggested that we achieved this goal. 
That said, we will continue to work hard expanding our already considerable connections to ensure that we give the best possible service to the businesses of Hong Kong. 
William Cheung, head of media and public affairs, Hong Kong Trade Development Council



Letters