2 -
There is one thing which he won't answer, a question which I am sure
you are interested in, the question of the law on homosexuality and
the difference between the law in the UK and the law here.
Needless
to say if it comes to acting on this law I will act on the advice of the Executive Council which will in turn rely very largely on
the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission, but I am perfectly
entitled to express a personal point of view about this, and my feeling is that there would be some benefit in amending the law particularly
between the discrepancy between the Hong Kong and UK Law.
own
I have regard to the fact that a fair proportion of the people
prosecuted have in fact been expatriates. Now every society has to
decide for itself what things it disapproves of will be dealt with
by the social sanction and what by law I think we would all be
agreed that whatever views we take on homosexuality procurers of
young boys should be dealt with by law not by social sanction.
Secondly that use of juveniles for homosexual purposes should be
dealt with by law not by social sanction. This is the case in the
UK. Now what happens to consenting adults is rather a different
matter, each community has to decide for itself, but in the present
situation I'm conscious of the fact that people prosecuted for
homosexual offences, the vast majority of which include offences with young people which would have been prosecuted in the UK just
the same as here, are gaining sympathy with the public by saying
that the law is different in the UK, with the implication that
in the UK they would be treated differently. In fact they would
be treated in exactly the same way. Now I would see some advantage
in amendment of the law if it were to eliminate this spuvious
sympathy which is created. Of course there are many other factors
too which the Law Commission will have to take into account and
by which I will eventually be guided, but I did want to make this
point to you.
Q. There have