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17.
and the number of appointed members will decrease from 20 to
This means that the Legislative Council to be elected
in September 1991 will for the first time in its history
have an elected majority.
27. The Government and the Hong Kong Government attach
great importance to making a success of these elections.
The Legislative Council which convenes in October 1991 will
provide a basis from which Hong Kong's democratic system
can develop further.
VII
HUMAN RIGHTS
28. The people of Hong Kong have been assured of their
basic human rights through the application of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
and International Covenent on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) to Hong Kong since 1976. At present the
Covenants are implemented in Hong Kong, as in the United
Kingdom, through a combination of common law, legislation
and administrative rules. The continued application of the
two Covenants after 1997 is provided for in the Sino-British
Joint Declaration.
29.
Preparatory work on a justiciable Bill of Rights to
give effect in local law to the relevant provisions of the
ICCPR progressed satisfactorily in 1990. A draft Bill for
public consultation was published in March 1990. A total of
800 submissions were received during the 3 month consultation period. A Hong Kong Bill of Rights 1990, which took into account the views expressed during the public
consultation period, was introduced into the Legislative
Council in July. The legislation is expected to be enacted
in the course of 1991. To complement the protection
afforded by the Bill of Rights, the Letters Patent for Hong Kong will be amended so as to ensure that no law of Hong
Kong can be made that restricts the rights and freedoms
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