MANDATORY SENTENCES
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Wednesday, May 9, 1973
196 CASES PROSECUTED
Since the introduction five months ago of mandatory sentences
against the possession of offensive weapons in public places, a total of 196 cases were prosecuted for this offence between mid-December and mid-March.
Reporting this to the Legislative Council today, the Acting
Attorney General, the Hon. G.C. Thornton, said that although no precise
figures were yet available as to the number of persons convicted in these
cases, consultations with the Director of Criminal Investigation and the
Director of Public Prosecutions suggested that all but a few were convicted.
Of the cases prosecuted, 43 were on Hong Kong Island, 141 in
Kowloon and 12 in the New Territories.
Mr. Thornton said all police officers were made fully aware of
the provisions of the section constituting the offence so that "this
offence is certainly in the minds of police officers when they are in the course of a 'stop and search' operation or when, on the beat or patrol, their attention may be attracted by some person's suspicious behaviour."
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