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WAS TO LET COURTS, NOT PARLIAMENTS, JUDGE SUCH MATTERS. SHAO TIANREN SAID THIS HAD BEEN MUCH DISCUSSED IN THE BLDC. SINCE THE BL WAS TO BE ADOPTED BY THE NPC IT MUST IN PRINCIPLE BE OPEN TO INTERPRETATION BY THE NPC LIKE ANY OTHER LAW IN CHINA. BUT ALLOWANCE MUST BE MADE FOR THE FACT THAT ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS ALSO MEANT 2 LEGAL SYSTEMS. THE DRAFT BL WOULD ALLOW HK COURTS TO INTERPRET THE BL WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE SAR'S AUTONOMY. EFFORTS HAD BEEN MADE TO LIMIT THE AREAS LEFT TO THE NPC, BUT THE BASIC FRAMEWORK MUST STAND. ON TRICKY CASES THE NPC SC WOULD CONSULT THE BASIC LAW COMMITTEE WHICH WOULD BE HALF MADE UP OF HK MEMBERS ANYWAY.
9. AFTER THIS SESSION, WHICH OVER-RAN TO TWO AND A HALF HOURS, HOWELL TOLD REPORTERS THE FAC HAD HAD A FULL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTIONS AND GOT A VERY FRIENDLY AND
POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM THE CHINESE SIDE.
DONALD
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
52
ΜΑΙΝ
49
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
. (RESTRICTED)
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH (FE)
PUSD
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR EGGAR
MR GILLMORE
MR MCLAREN
ADDITIONAL
3
MR EDWARDS LEGAL ADVISERS
MR WHOMERSLEY LEGAL ADVISERS
MR FIFOOT HKD
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