The Hong Kong Judiciary will implement a five-day week in three
phases starting from July 1.
Having regard to the policy initiative proposed by the
Administration and that Judiciary Administration staff are
essentially civil servants, the Judiciary has decided on a
three-phase implementation of a five-day week.
Phase one will begin on July 1, under which a five-day week will
apply to court sittings and back offices without any interface with
members of the public.
No court sittings will be listed on Saturdays, except for
admission ceremonies for senior counsel, barristers and solicitors
in the High Court, hearings fixed by individual Judges or where
statute provides for Saturday hearings.
Phase two will begin on January 1, 2007. The services to be
covered are essentially those which have a public interface but
there is no need for legislative amendments, such as information
counters and public enquiry services.
Phase three would cover services with a public interface where
the implementation of a five-day week will require legislative
amendments to primary and/or subsidiary legislation.
These services include Court Registries and general offices of
Magistrates' Courts, Accounts Offices, Bailiffs' Offices, Probate
Registry and Oaths and Declarations Office.
The implementation of phase three and its timing would depend on
the completion of the necessary amendments to legislation.
(CRI June 7, 2006)