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Wednesday, June 20, 1973
He quoted a prison authority who said that 90 per cent of the innates
of a large prison were repeaters, proving that certain people have established
criminal tendencies.
Referring to the Public Order (Amendment) Bill 1973, Mr. P.C. Woo
noted that during the three months from the middle of December last year to
the middle of March this year, 196 people had been prosecuted for possession of
offensive weapons in a public place.
"This suggests to me that the legislation is very necessary and that
there can as yet be no relaxation of its provisions," he said.
The amended bill widens the scope of punishment and sets out various
ways in which a court may deal with an offender between 13 and 17 years of age.
A note of concern, however, was voiced by Mr. Hilton Cheong-Leen who
said the emphasis should be on reform and not bare punishment. He stressed
that steps should be taken to separate the young offenders from the older and
more hardened criminals.
He also pointed out that the government had a moral obligation to find
out the deeper causes of crime committed by young people and seek possible solutions.
In replying to the unofficial members, the acting Attorney General,
Mr. Hobley, said the views against increased powers of sentence for District
Judgos were fully appreciated by the government.
He emphasised that the proposal was not put forward lightly and that
the government was fully satisfied the proposed increase in sentencing power
was appropriate.
He also reassured them that no one who would have received legal aid
had his case been tried before the Supreme Court but who is now to be tried
before the District Court will be deprived of his right to legal aid.
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