NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
W(B)L 51-7406
CONFIDENTIAL
Public Order Ordinance
2.
The Public Order Ordinance was brought into
operation in November 1967 at the height of the
disturbances in the Colony. Its purpose was to
consolidate into one Ordinance the various pro-
visions dealing with public order and to
strengthen the law where experience had shown
this to be desirable. Work on the preparation
of the Ordinance had been in progress for more
than two years prior to its enactment; account
was taken in its drafting of the experience
gained during the 1967 disturbances.
Governor sought our views on the draft
The
Ordinance before its enactment and the proposed
legislation was given careful and prolonged
examination in the Commonwealth Office before
it was agreed to.
Shortly after its enactment was strongly
The
the Ordinance became the target of considerable
sed
criticien which was levelled at-it by "Justice".
It was also the subject of a petition to
Parliament by the Reform Club of Hong Kong (an
organisation of some 5,000 paid-up members)
which was submitted through the medium Of
Mr. John Rankin, M.P and it was the subject of
two Parliamentary Questions In February 1969
Mr. Frank Allaun asked two P.Q's. about it,
Amending Bill
3. In January 1969 the Governor forwarded
va a draft Bill to amend the Principal
Ordinance,
S.
which were to
The main purposed
rposed of the Bill-were-
to amend the Ordinance in order to
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