The 12th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) opened here Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.
This is the first time for the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government to host the IAP conference, and the theme of the Conference is "Relations with Others: Accountability, Transparency and Independence."
"A successful public prosecution system was fundamental to the rule of law. Hong Kong therefore placed great emphasis on promoting a prosecution service that was modern and just, and receptive to the concerns of the community," said Donald Tsang, chief executive of the HKSAR, when addressing some 450 participants at the opening ceremony.
As an international center for business and finance, Hong Kong has expanded legal horizons and developed close links with prosecutors in other jurisdictions, he said.
Noting Hong Kong's unique status within China as an autonomous common law jurisdiction, Tsang said that Hong Kong's independent judiciary upheld the common law principles without fear or favor.
"We are also proud of our reputation as a safe and law-abiding city. Our commitment to the rule of law extends to all corners of society," he said.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Grenville Cross, director of Public Prosecutions of the HKSAR government, said that transparency was central to the role of the prosecutor.
In Hong Kong, the Department of Justice had published detailed prosecution policy guidelines, which were subject to periodic review. In addition, annual work reviews were published.
"Transparency, effectively deployed, can defuse tensions and dispel myths," Cross said.
In his address at the opening ceremony, the president of the IAP, Francois Falletti, said prosecutors must be accountable for their actions and transparent, and that they "must act with a degree of independence which can be seen."
He expressed his gratitude and that of the IAP to Hong Kong for hosting the conference.
The IAP is the first and only world organization of prosecutors. It was established in 1995 at the United Nations Offices in Vienna. The IAP is committed to developing close co-operation among the prosecutors of the world and to promote high standards of criminal justice.
The IAP includes individual and organizational members from more than 120 countries. The organizational members are drawn from every region of the world, and represent more than 200,000 prosecutors.
Source: Xinhua
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