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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1977
LEGAL DEPARTMENT EXAMINING UNDESIRABLE MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENTS
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TWO OFFICERS OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT ARE EXAMINING UNDESIRABLE MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENTS IN CHINESE NEWSPAPERS SO THAT DETAILED
INVESTIGATION OF MORE BLATANT CONTRAVENTIONS CAN BE UNDERTAKEN.
THE HON. ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR. JOHN HOBLEY SAID THIS IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. LEUNG TAT-SHING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR. HOBLEY SAID, THIS EXAMINATION IS NOW ALMOST COMPLETE, WHEN WE SHALL ADVISE THE POLICE WHICH COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE
INVESTIGATED WITH A VIEW TO POSSIBLE PROSECUTION.
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+ IF PROSECUTIONS ARE ULTIMATELY INSTITUTED, HOPE THAT THEY WILL SERVE TO REMIND ALL CONCERNED OF THE LAW, + HE ADDED.
MR. HOBLEY ALSO NOTED THAT IN THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, THE HONG KONG MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HAD LODGED WITH THE POLICE COMPLAINTS SPREADING OVER 220 ISSUES OF 29 DIFFERENT NEWSPAPERS ALLEGING ALTOGETHER MORE THAN 1,700 CONTRAVENTIONS OF THE REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS ORDINANCE. THE UNDESIRABLE MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENT ORDINANCE, OR BOTH.
HE SAID, THE VERY NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FROM THIS ONE SOURCE SINCE THE MIDDLE OF JULY SHOWS THE IMPRACTICABILITY OF THE IR EVEN TRYING TO DO SO.+
+EACH ADVERTISEMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED FIRST, TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THE COMPLAINT IS WELL-FOUNDED.
+THE FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION OF THE WELL-FOUNDED COMPLAINTS IS TIME-CONSUMING BECAUSE IT INVOLVES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TRANSLATIONS, CERTIFICATION OF THE ACCURACY OF TRANSLATIONS AND THE OBTAINING OF PARTICULARS OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE NEWSPAPERS CONCERNED AND THE IDENTITY OF THE ADVERTISER, HE ADDED.
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