譚香文對HKICPA的司法覆核有judgment了，HKICPA輸了還要俾埋譚香文的legal fee。就算HKICPA出埋QC都輸，佢地真係要找個人出來負責！
成四五百萬wor，而所有的起因都是因為有人工器私用！以前李家祥就幫佢send news letter，但波波輸了立法會唔憤氣就玩東西，完全唔理會會計（連year 1 student都知道的）Cost > Benefit的principle，而去堅持打官司。最白痴以為請個QC用$去嚇人唔打官司，最終都敗北以回．．．
我想HKICPA上了這次教訓都應該知道什麼叫做legitimate interest!
還有如果佢因為甘而去加membership fee，我一定會罵的！
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[轉貼自譚香文議員辦事處] 新聞稿 (2007年8月28日)
譚香文歡迎高院判決 盼與公會共同爭取會計師權益
立法會(會計界)議員譚香文歡迎高等法院今天就其提出的司法覆核所作出的裁決，香港會計師公會需重新檢視不替她寄發議員通訊給會員的決定。譚議員認為判決 公道、合理，並且確立了功能組別的立法會代表與其業界選民一個公平、透明的溝通機制。她期望公會盡快恢復替她發議員通訊給會員。
譚議員在記者會上表示：「高院的裁決，將有助她重新打開跟公會26,000多名會員溝通的渠道，因為自從公會去年十月決定不再替她寄發議員通訊之後，她一 直要自行逐一搜集會計師的聯絡地址，迄今她只有約5,900名會計師的郵寄地址，亦即她未能跟二萬多名會計師接觸，透過通訊溝通的渠道大受限制。」
她高興地表示，高院的裁決令困擾她多個月的選民溝通問題迎刃而解，尤如「藍天重現」。裁決亦顯示高院接納她的理據，就是公會的決定損害會員跟其立法會代表接觸的權益。
展望未來，譚議員衷心希望能夠與公會冰釋前嫌，共同為業界爭取最大的權益。她亦會一如過往，致力收集業界對重大社會問題和政策的意見，在立法會內向政府反映，並繼續運用她會計的專業知識，監察政府善用公共資源。
譚解釋: 「今年一月入稟高院，申請司法覆核，對我是一個相當困難的決定。我並非基於任何個人利益或政治考慮，而是顧及整個會計界，以至社會的整體利益，因為公會在 沒有徵詢會員、亦沒有徵詢我的情況下，單方面決定不再替業界的立法會代表寄發議員通訊予選民，這既防礙了立法會代表與選民溝通的渠道，亦剝奪了選民獲取資 訊的權利，有損會計界權益。選民是有權知悉其代表在立法會及業界內的工作情況。」
她強調，尋求司法覆核是她迫不得已的決定，因為自從公會在去年十月公布不再替她寄發通訊後，她至今年一月，一直花了四個多月的時間跟公會理事會斡旋、聯 繫，希望透過協商的方式，可以妥善解決公會拒發通訊的問題，可惜一直不得要領。而公會在過去十多年來，一直有為兩位前任會計界議員黃匡源及李家祥先生寄發 議員通訊。
「因此，為爭取一個跟選民合理、又行之有效的溝通渠道，以及追求社會公義，我不得不冒上敗訴要損失巨額金錢的後果，訴諸法律行動，討回公道。」
她重申：「這不單是我個人的利益問題，而是功能組別的有關專業團體，有責任協助其議會代表跟選民溝通，是一個代議制度上的問題。」她高興今次法院的判決， 為日後可能出現的同類個案確立一個案例，就是功能組別的有關專業團體不應無理限制和剝奪其議會代表跟選民溝通的權利，資訊自由流通對政制的健康發展十分重 要。
譚議員表示，政府應就今次個案，妥善解決功能組別議員與其業界團體及選民的溝通問題。若功能組別仍然存在，政府便應修改有關立法會條例，列明功能組別的專 業團體有責任協助其立法會代表與選民順利溝通，包括寄發議員通訊給業界選民。政府亦應研究修例，訂明議員在有需要時，例如在選舉結束後，仍可利用選民登記 名冊的資料跟選民溝通，例如寄發通訊予選民。
附件：譚香文議員與「香港會計師公會」就寄發通訊事宜的發展經過
(以上新聞稿由譚香文議員辦事處發出)
Mandy Tam Heung-man, the legislator representing the accountancy functional constituency, welcomes today’s judicial review by the High Court of actions undertaken by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA).
The High Court has ruled that the HKICPA should review its decision to stop distributing Mandy’s newsletters to its members. Mandy, who wishes that the HKICPA resume distributing her newsletters as soon as possible, says: “This ruling is fair and reasonable. I trust that the principle asserted by the High Court in its judgment today will mean that communication channels are strengthened between all functional constituency legislators and their constituents.”
In a press conference held after the verdict was delivered, Mandy emphasized that the High Court’s ruling will help her develop her links with the 26,000 plus members of the HKICPA. Her ability to communicate with these members was greatly undermined by the HKICPA’s October 2006 decision to cease distributing her newsletter. Mandy says: “Without the assistance of the Institute with delivery, there were over 20,000 members of my constituency that I was unable to contact through my newsletter. Today’s finding suggests that the High Court accepts my belief that the interests of HKICPA members were not best served by eroding their ability to receive information from their representative in the Legislative Council.”
Mandy is happy that the ruling has helped to address the communications shortcoming and is looking forward to developing a harmonious working relationship with the Institute in order to better represent the interests of the accounting profession.
She reasserts her commitment to representing the profession, gauging and enunciating to government and the wider community the views of accountants on major policy and social issues. She will also continue to apply her professional accounting expertise to monitor the use of public money.
“Resorting to judicial review in January was a very difficult decision for me, and was one I made without personal interest or political consideration. The HKICPA’s action was undertaken without consulting either myself or its members. It seriously compromised communication between voters and their LegCo representative, and also deprived my constituents of their right to information,” explains Mandy. “Voters are entitled to a good understanding of their representative’s work in LegCo. In no way do I believe that the Institute’s unilateral action could be said to have benefited the accounting profession.”
Mandy stresses that she was compelled to resort to judicial review after four months spent negotiating with the HKICPA’s Council with a view to finding a feasible solution regarding the distribution of her newsletter. Regrettably no agreement could be reached. “For over a decade the HKICPA helped distribute to its members the newsletters of my LegCo predecessors, Peter Wong and Eric Li.
“In order to ensure reasonable, useful and practical communication channels with my constituents, it became necessary, as a matter of social justice, for me to pursue this judicial review – at the risk, I would add, of considerable personal financial loss,” says Mandy.
“I cannot emphasize enough that this is not purely a matter of personal interest, but about the bigger issue of effective democratic representation – how a legislator from the functional constituency communicates with his or her voters through the assistance of relevant professional bodies.”
The free flow of information is indispensable to healthy political discourse, and Mandy trusts that the ruling will set a firm precedent that ensures professional bodies within the functional constituencies cannot unreasonably restrict the right of representatives to communicate with their constituents.
Mandy suggests that the government should address communication problems between legislators from functional constituencies and their constituents if the system is to adequately serve society. The government should amend the relevant Ordinance to ensure that professional bodies are obliged to assist LegCo representatives in communicating with their constituents, whether by distributing newsletters or other means. The government should also consider amending the electoral ordinance to allow legislators to use the Registers of Electors to send newsletters to their constituents when appropriate.
Encl.: Chronological order of the interaction between Mandy Tam and HKICPA regarding its decision to stop distributing Mandy’s newsletters
(This above press release is issued by the Office of Mandy Tam)
