مدام
COUNCIL
PROF. J. N, D. ANDERSON, O.B.E.
BRYAN ANNS
PETER ARCHER, Q.C., M.P.
MICHAEL BRYCESON
PETER CARTER-RUCK
MICHAEL ELLMAN
PHILIP ENGLISH
THE LORD FOOT
EDWARD GARDNER, Q.C., M.P.
PROF. J. F. GARNER
WILLIAM GOODHART
PERCY GRIEVE, Q.C., M.P.
PROF. C. J. HAMSON
GLYN HARDWICKE
MUIR HUNTER, Q.c.
TOM KELLOCK, Q.C.
PHILIP KIMBER
JAMES LEMKIN
JUSTICE
HKLOD
for advice &
أهدي
draft haply from Sqr.
(BRITISH SECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS.)
CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL: THE RT. HON. LORD GARDINER
VICE-CHAIRMAN:
SIR JOHN FOSTER, K.B.E., Q.C., M.P.
CHAIRMAN OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
GEOFFREY GARRETT
VICE-CHAIRMAN:
LEWIS HAWSER, Q.C.
HONORARY TREASURER:
THE RT. HON. SIR ELWYN JONES, Q.C., M.P.
24
pose
becocijo.
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
ALEC SAMUELS
SECRETARY:
TOM SARGANT, O.B.E., J.P.
LEGAL SECRETARY:
R. C. H. BRIGGS
12, CRANE COURT,
FLEET STREET,
LONDON, E.C.4
Telephone: 01-353 9428
Cables: JUSTJURIST LONDON
6/6.
AINSLIE NAIRN
PAUL SIEGHART
THE HON. SAM SILKIN, Q.C., M.P.
PETER WEBSTER, Q.C.
CHARLES WEGG-PROSSER WILLIAM WELLS, Q.C., M.P.
BASIL WIGODER, Q.C.
YOUR REF.
OUR REF.
ALL COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY
5th June, 1973.
Dear Sir Abe,
28
I am writing as Chairman of JUSTICE and on behalf of our Hong Kong Branch to seek your urgent intervention in relation to four Bills which are about to be considered by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is my understanding that in relation to legislation concerning law and order you have a power to intervene.
The matter is summarised in the enclosed copy of a letter from Henry Litton, Q.C., Chairman of our Hong Kong Branch. We have a good deal of additional background information but at this stage I feel that the important point to emphasise is that these four Bills, if they are passed, will seriously erode the Rule of Law in Hong Kong and will create a situation far below the standards which are univer- sally recognised here and be quite irreconcilable with current international thought.
Apart from our view that the measures if adopted would not materially advance the Hong Kong Government's quite proper wish to combat violent crime, our objections are based partly on the content of the proposed legislation and partly perhaps far more seriously - upon the existing defects in the Criminal Court system in Hong Kong and, above all, the very limited availability of legal aid.
Our immediate aim is to seek your assistance in ensuring that this legislation is not pushed through the Legislative Council without full and exhaustive examination and without serious debate. We should like to have an opportunity of sending a delegation to the Foreign Office to discuss this matter in more detail but clearly the
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