202
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 2882
#
NKC241
Mr
Spining
22 OCT 1990
OF 271206Z SEPTEMBER 90
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
9
Gen
YRTELNO 63: UN CONVENTION ON TORTURE
have mo
UND
May
062424
MDLIAN 4203
Sojection to x.
went to see the
ot 64 (3)
papers (outached with pote
1940 Raycastagne lite?).
2 pe
for
2875
1 THANK YOU FOR THE HELPFUL INFORMATION IN TUR.
·
2. WE ARE HOWEVER UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE SUGGESTION IN PARA 2 OF TUR OF EXTENDING THE CONVENTION TO HONG KONG A FEW DAYS BEFORE LEGCO'S ANTICIPATED ENACTMENT OF THE TORTURE BILL. WE THINK IT WOULD BE RISKY, IN BOTH A PRACTICAL AND POLITICAL SENSE, TO TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT LEGCO WOULD ENACT THE BILL ON ANY PARTICULAR DAY.
3. INSTEAD, WE PREFER TO STICK TO THE PROCEDURE PROPOSED IN PARA 5 OF OUR TELNO 4505 OF 1988, I.E. DELAYING GOVERNOR'S ASSENT OF THE BILL BY TWO DAYS TO MATCH THE TIMING OF THE EXTENSION OF THE CONVENTION TO HONG KONG AND THE GAZETTAL OF THE BILL. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THIS.
TIMING
4. THE TORTURE BILL WAS REGRETTABLY NOT READY IN TIME AND THEREFORE COULD NOT BE INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO ON 25 JULY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE BILL OF RIGHTS. WE NOW HOPE TO INTRODUCE THE TORTURE BILL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AND HAVE IT ENACTED EARLY NEXT YEAR.
WILSON
YYYY
MAIN
119
M.uk to UND
DISTRIBUTION
120
humi
.HUMAN RIGHTS
LIMITED
UND
Ms Major
Spoke to P. Broom, UND. I sent him
Telmo 4505.
PS
PS/MR WALDEGRAVE
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
1
PAGE RESTRICTED
I sent him a copy of
this view (which I betiere is that of
the UND legal adviser Mr Rankin) is that the HK legislation would
be in place before we could begin the process of extending
have to
to be the Conventia at this end
CS 10760