香港法院應付的工作,反映我們身處的社會的現狀。法院所處理形形色色的案件,正正反映了社會各個截然不同的生活層面:經濟、政治、社會問題、國際及商業事務。法官和法院的憲制角色,是要將法律引用於這些社會範疇所產生的各種不同情況。我們的法律制度不但讓個別糾紛得以解決,更藉案例提供高度明確的法律指引,讓社會人士在日常生活和工作上,處事有所依據。去年,我集中談論了香港法律制度的要素——或精髓。我稱之為法律持正不阿的精神。今天,值得重申的就是法律持正不阿的精神的幾個要點:真正獨立的司法機構、單單根據法律的條文和精神去恰當地引 The work to be done by Hong Kong courts reflects the current situation of the society in which we live. Courts handle all kinds of cases, which directly reflect the different life levels in society: economic, political, social issues, international and commercial matters. The constitutional role of judges and courts is to introduce the law to the different situations that arise in these categories of society. Our legal system not only allows for the resolution of individual disputes, but also provides highly-defined legal guidance in the light of cases so that people in the community can act according to their daily life and work. Last year, I focused on the essence of the legal system in Hong Kong. I call it the law of integrity. Today, it is worth reiterating several points in the spirit of the law, which is true: a truly independent judiciary, properly guided solely by the provisions and spirit of the law