CONFIDENTIAL
furkker)
further attacks
itry
There is therefore
no-substantial demand in Hong Kong for the
amendments to be made,
(b) The introd
cien
tage would attr
he-amendmente-at
urmecessary attention to the
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Ordinance.
There the matter now resta.
ARGUMENT
that
7. The Governor argues the the primary purpose of
Sections 122 and 123 is to protect the courts again
well-drilled and organised mohs; that if the general
public are always to be admitted when sentence is
announced, trouble Coufarise just as readily as t
could from their admission during a trial; and that
in Hong Kong one is not dealing with a public with
an innate respect for the courts, which are, in the
eyes of the communists, merely a hostile extension
of the Executive, to be disrupted and intimidated if
possible.
However, despite these arguments, he prepared
amendments to Section 123 în terms
paragraph flaj 4b)abore, but in the case of Section 122,
to accept
he airbains that the fact that the section confers no
power to exclude the press is sufficient to ensure that
8.
The Governor's reasons for asking that any amendement of the two sections mould. be deferred (paragraph 6 above) are:
(a) that since the initial corticism of
д
the Ordinance at the
timme it's mactment in September, 1968 (which was inspired from expatriate rather then local sour
sources) have been no further attacks on it. There is therefore
there
no substantial demand in Hong Kong for the amendments
to be made
(b) the introduction of the amendements at this stage, world
attract unnecessary attention to the Ordinance.
AT)