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relating to any person who on reasonable grounds is suspected of having committed an offence under the Ordinance; and, for this purpose, to inquire from any source as to the whereabouts of such an account, box, book or article. The secrecy requirements of the Inland Revenue Ordinance are, however, preserved. Cap. 215 contains powers for the investigation of bank accounts, share accounts or purchase accounts, but clause 13 is in wider terms. Failure to comply, without reasonable excuse, with the require- ment or obstruction of the police officer or other public servant under this clause will be an offence under subclause (3).
20. Clause 14 is new to Hong Kong. It will empower the Attorney General to require information, relative to the investiga- tions or proceedings under the Ordinance, from any person who is himself suspected of having committed an offence, from any other person who can assist the investigation or appear to be acquainted with the facts, from persons in charge of public bodies or any department, office or establishment of a public body and from managers of banks (in the form of copies of bank accounts of the person suspected and of his spouse, parents and children). As with clause 13, the secrecy requirement of the Inland Revenue Ordinance are preserved. The neglect or failure by any person, other than the suspect himself, to comply with a requirement under this clause will be an offence under subclause (3).
21. Clause 15 deals with legal advisers who, in that capacity, may be in possession of information regarding the affairs of their clients which is relevant to an inquiry under this Bill. As a general rule, what a legal adviser, in his professional capacity, learns from his client is privileged from disclosure, because of the need for full and unreserved dealings between client and lawyer.
22. Although this privilege will not protect from disclosure communications made in furtherance of any crime, whether the legal adviser was a party to, or ignorant of, the illegal object, its protection is generally displaced only by definite evidence of illegality adduced in judicial proceedings. Consequently, the position of legal advisers in possession of privileged information which may be required for the purpose of the investigation of an alleged offence under this Bill will be regulated by clause 15, which preserves the general privilege, save for certain limited. exceptions expressly dealt with in the clause.
23. In the absence of such a clause, persons might evade discovery by getting a solicitor to deal with the proceeds of corrupt transactions, relying on the rule against disclosure of privileged information. The clause is not, however, intended as a means