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Annex B
5.
The Bills, amended by agreement between the
Administration and a majority of members of the LegCo
ad hoc Group which considered them, were passed by the
Legislative Council on 11 March 1987. A copy of Section 27
as finally enacted is at Annex B. However, although
initial reaction to the proposals by the media had been
favourable, by the time the Bills were debated in LegCo
they had become the subject of considerable controversy and
were strongly opposed by the local media and a minority of
LegCo members. News of the legislation
-
which had been
(quite misleadingly) dubbed a "press gag" law - also spread
overseas and Hong Kong's image suffered as a result.
Particular reference was made both locally and overseas to
the point that Section 27 may be in breach of Article 19 of
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Review
6.
In January 1988, in response to a letter from the
then senior Legislative Council Member, the Chief Secretary
promised Section 27 would be reviewed at the end of the
year.
7.
An internal review of Section 27 has been
conducted and a report prepared.
There is no evidence the
Section has affected the operation of the local media. It
has continued to report freely, to be forthright and to
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