Legal Translation and Bilingual Law Drafting in Hong Kong

This book gives a comprehensive and systematic account of the multifaceted issues of legal translation and bilingual law drafting in the context of Hong Kong’s transformation from a unilingual to a bilingual legal system. It focuses on the variety of challenges confronting such transformation from the micro perspectives of language and law to the macro perspectives of education and research. As a legal translator and translation teacher myself, I have learnt a lot from it and would wholeheartedly recommend it as a must-read for anyone who wants to have a clear understanding of legal translation.

--- SIN King-kui, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, UOW College of Hong Kong

The development of a bilingual legal system in Hong Kong since the 1980s has posed important challenges for legal translation and legal drafting. This book provides a comprehensive study of the subject, drawing on the experience of mainland China and Taiwan in the use of the Chinese language. I think it is an extremely useful book for both general readers interested in the use of Chinese in Hong Kong law, as well as students and practitioners of English-Chinese legal translation and drafting.

--- Professor Albert H.Y. Chen, Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong

The importance of language in the context of law hardly requires elaboration. Hong Kong the only common law jurisdiction where legislation is enacted in both Chinese and English. Legislation aside, legal translation plays an important role in enhancing access to justice in Hong Kong. Viewed thus, his book by Professor Clara Chan is a helpful addition to the literature and research in this area, and will be an indispensable addition to the bookshelf of those interested in law and language.

--- Rimsky Yuen, GBM, SC, JP, Barrister — Senior Counsel