(1) October – December 2006: Seminar Series in Hong Kong
(2) 10 – 15 December 2006: Study Tour to Mainland China
(3) 3 – 10 February 2007: Study Tour to the USA
TheBetter Hong Kong Foundation sponsored and co-organised theStudy Program on theJudicial & Legal Systems of Hong Kong, MainlandChina& theUSAforHong Kongjournalists, which was organized by theHong Kong Federation of Journalists (HKFJ). Theprogram is thefirst stageof thelong-term development of local journalists and media professionals, under the“Hong Kong Journalists Professional Training Plan” of theHKFJ. Thestudy program aims to cover:
1. a comprehensiveoverview of thejudicial and legal systems,
2. the basic legal procedures in both civil and criminal cases,
3. laws and issues related to the media and the court, and
4. ways to improve reporting in the legal and judicial areas.
Theprogram commenced with an opening ceremony officiated by theSecretary for Justice, theHon. Mr. Wong Yan Lung. Thestudy program includes threeparts:
The 1st part: Seminar Series held in Hong Kong
4 seminars were held to brief journalists on the background of the judicial and legal systems ofHong Kong, MainlandChina and theUSA. It was attended by close to 100 journalists.
TheFoundation invited Mr Gary Hengstler, Dean of theNational Center of Courts and Media, and Professor Long ChongZhi of theSouthwest University of Political Scienceand Law, to cometoHong Kongto speak at theseminars.
The 2nd part: Study Tour to Chongqing
The five day study tour was supported by the Southwest University of Political Science and Law,Chongqing. Members attended seminars onChina’s civic law, criminal law and judicial review, and visited the District Courts and High Court. Members met with High Court Judges and District Court Judges; attendedexchange sessions with Chinese journalists who wereexperienced in court reporting; and met with legalexperts. More than 15 journalists joined the study tour.
TheFoundation invited Mr Gary Hengstler, Dean of theNational Centrefor Counts and Media, and Professor Yan Mei-ning, Assistant Professor of Hong Kong Baptist University, to join thedelegation as its Academic Advisors.
The 3rd Part: Study Tour to theUSA
In the USA, members visited San Francisco, Reno and Washington DC. Meetings were arranged with local judges and local journalists, the latter sharing their experience of court reporting. Members also attended seminars organized by the National Centre for Courts and Media, and the School of Journalism, University of Nevada in Reno. In Washington DC, members attended a seminar hosted by Georgetown Unive