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LITTER COURTS BEING SET UP
Wednesday, August 16, 1972
Courts are to be set up to deal exclusively with litter offences as
a result of the Magistrates (Amendment) Bill 1972 which is concerned with the
"Keep Hong Kong Clean" Campaign.
The Acting Attorney General, the Hon. G.R. Sneath, said today the
Bill provides for a statutory form of notice to be handed to any suspected
litter offender, specifying the time and date when he is required to appear
before a named magistracy.
He said he had been informed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court
that in each of the magistracies to be named in these forms, a magistrate or
J.Ps. would sit at the times specified to deal exclusively with litter offences.
He was speaking in the Legislative Council while moving the second
reading of the Bill.
Should a person fail to comply with one of these notices, the magistrate
may issue a warrant for the person to be brought before him.
Where a warrant had to be issued and executed, he added, the Bill
requires a magistrate to "mulet" the person concerned in costs amounting to
not less than $20 nor more than $400.
He said this provision was mandatory indicating that such costs should
be payable whether or not a person was convicted.
The Attorney General said he would be moving an amendment to the Bill
providing that the date to be specified in the notice should be not less than
three clear days, instead of within 24 hours, after it was handed to the person
concerned.
/Speaking