Hong Kong will host the 12th Annual Conference & General Meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors in 2007, Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross announced today, adding the selection is a great honour for the Prosecutions Division.  

Presenting the Yearly Review of the Prosecutions Division 2005, Mr Grenville said the conference would take place at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre from September 16 to 20, 2007, and would attract more than 500 prosecutors from more than 120 countries.

He noted the Prosecutions Division was awarded the IAP's Certificate of Merit last August, to recognise its contribution to the work and initiatives of the IAP.

"This was a welcome recognition of the status now enjoyed by the Division at the international level. It emphasised our position as a world-class prosecuting authority," he said.

Cooperation among law-enforcement bodies was key to successful proseuction, Mr Grenville stressed in his address. His division works closely with the Police, and in 2005 they  reached consensus over the retention of case exhibits for at least 20 years after convicted cases conclude.

"This will facilitate reviews of the safety of convictions in light of advances in forensic science. On the advice of prosecutors, police will keep exhibits in serious criminal cases, such as homicide and rape, for at least 20 years," he said.

Throughout 2005, the division also met with  prosecutors and legal officials in other parts of China. Prosecutors discussed combatting corruption, banking and commercial crime, forensic examination systems, sentencing, technology crime, trial by jury, human rights and criminal justice reforms.

"We briefed 11 visiting delegations from elsewhere in China on the operation of our legal system. In turn, our prosecutors visited justice officials in Qingdao and Shanghai under the Legal Services Co-operation Agreements," he said.

The prosecution services of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau supported one another in the international arena, at the China-ASEAN Prosecutors General Conference in Bangkok, the Asia-Europe Prosecutors General Conference in Shenzhen, and the Annual Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors in Copenhagen.

"When the Division launched its bid to host the Annual Conference & General Meeting of the IAP in Hong Kong, in 2007, it was supported by its sister services from elsewhere in China. Such co-operation reflected the levels of understanding at the practical level which now exist among the prosecutors of China," Mr Grenville said.

Crime's globalisation requires liaison among prosecutors in all parts of the world, he stressed.

"Through co-operation comes mutual understanding, as well as smoother procedures and the building of trust. Effective techniques to prosecute crime can only develop if prosecutors adequately support one another and co-ordinate their activities. Mutual legal assistance is vital."

He thanked former Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung for her unwavering support for the Division, "not only in 2005, but ever since reunification. She shared our vision of a prosecution service which is modern, transparent and internationalist, and encouraged our initiatives, both locally and at the international level. She was a remarkable Secretary, and a great lady."

Mr Grenville also welcomed Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung and thanked him for all of his guidance since his appointment in October 2005.

"It has become apparent to me in a short time that the Secretary endorses our commitment to professionalism in the conduct of public prosecutions, to effectiveness in the combat of crime and to co-operation with our counterparts in other places in the interests of better law enforcement."

Click here to see the full text of the yearly review.