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When I Was Young

Peter Kam Fai Cheung SBS

FADE IN.

EXT. LOWER ALBERT ROAD - DAY

Seeing an old office building in front of him, PETER stops to take a photo.

PETER (V.O.)

Immediately after I

was called to the

Bar in 1985, I worked

here as Assistant

Crown Counsel. I

was 31.

FLASHBACK

INT. OFFICE - DAY (1985)

Peter (31) in a black suit, shares a room with another CROWN COUNSEL (30s).

PETER

My first day as a

legal officer. Are

you a barrister?

CROWN COUNSEL

No, I'm a solicitor.

Like you, my first

day as Crown

Counsel.

PETER

Well, I can learn

from you then.

The Crown Counsel shakes his head sideways.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

At least you've done

your articleship. I've

to do my pupilage and

I don't even know who

would be my pupil

master.

END FLASHBACK

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Everything was

unstructured then.

For the following months,

we brainstormed with

each other and got

things done. He was

very much my pupil

master.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I was then in the

Civil Litigation Unit.

I took the initiative

to talk to the Law

Officer (Civil) to

see if he could arrange

some knowledge

transfer for Assistant

Crown Counsel like

me.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Weeks later, I was

very pleased to learn

that a Principal Crown

Counsel would do a

training session for us.

FLASHBACK

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Big. Gathering around a PRINCIPAL CROWN COUNSEL (40) are five ASSISTANT CROWN COUNSEL including Peter.

PRINCIPAL CROWN COUNSEL

What I want to share

with you all is about the

etiquette of a prosecutor.

PETER (V.O.)

(Surprised and disappointed)

Is that right? I want to

learn more about civil

litigation...

END FLASHBACK

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

It was so contrary to

my expectation that I

can't forget it...

Peter smiles.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

I was then doing my

external LLM degree

with London U and a

paper I selected was

International Protection

of Human Rights.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

When I found that UK

hasn't actually implemented

its international human

rights legal obligations

in Hong Kong, I wanted

to talk to the Law Officer

responsible.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

He was six ranks higher

than me and was a

a secondee from the

UK Foreign Office to

assist the Governor.

FLASHBACK

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Secretary's desk. Peter talks to the SECRETARY (late 20s).

PETER

Do you think if it's OK

for me to talk to the

Law Officer for a while?

I've got some international

legal matters about Hong

Kong and should like to

discuss with him.

SECRETARY

He's quite easy-going.

Let me ask him first.

Having knocked the office door, the secretary speaks to the Law Officer(50s). She then signifies to Peter to step inside.

After some exchanges, the Law Officer wants to see Peter off.

LAW OFFICER

Don't talk about it, Peter.

Just don't talk about it.

Peter nods, rather reluctantly.

END FLASHBACK

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

That was some four

years before Hong Kong

had the Hong Kong Bill

of Rights Ordinance 1990.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

A senior counsel did

seek my opinion on

the structure of the

draft bill beforehand.

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Incidentally, I quite

envied the Law Officer's

secretary. Her boss

wrote a recommendation

and she was admitted

to read law at Cambridge!

Pausing.

PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd)

Those were some of the

dramas happened here

when I was young!

Peter walks past the old office building.

FADE OUT. THE END

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