THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1983
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+EQUALLY I HAVE PREVIOUSLY MADE KNOWN THAT I SHARE MISS DUNN'S CONCERN THAT IN RETAINING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, WE UNFAIRLY IMPOSE UPON JUDGES AND THOSE WHO GUARD PRISONERS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH AWESOME AND MORBID RESPONSIBILITIES,+ MR THOMAS SAID.
BUT GIVEN THE FEELINGS OF THE ORDINARY PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND OF PARLIAMENT IN WESTMINSTER, HE SAW NO IMMEDIATE PROSPECT OF ACTION IN HONG KONG TO SATISFY EITHER OF MISS DUNN'S DEMANDS.
+THE GOVERNMENT THEREFORE TAKES NOTE OF HER POINTS BUT THE POLITICAL REALITIES ARE WELL KNOWN TO HER AND INDEED TO ALL HONOURABLE MEMBERS,+ HE SAID.
MR THOMAS REFERRED TO CALLS BY THE HON MARIA TAM FOR A SUPPLEMENTARY LEGAL AID SCHEME TO ASSIST PERSONS TOO POOR TO PURSUE LITIGATION WITHOUT CONSIDERABLE SACRIFICE, BUT TOO RICH TO QUALIFY FOR LEGAL AID AND SAID A SCHEME ALONG THE LINES SUGGESTED BY MISS TAM HAD BEEN PROPOSED BY A WORKING PARTY.
THE WORKING PARTY WAS MADE UP OF REPRESENTATIVES OF HIS CHAMBERS, THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT, THE JUDICIARY AND THE TWO LEGAL PROFESSIONS, MR THOMAS SAID.
HOWEVER, THE PROPOSALS HAD STILL TO BE APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS AND THE NECESSARY FUNDS HAD STILL TO BE MADE AVAILABLE.
HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH MISS TAM SUGGESTED THERE MIGHT BE AS MANY AS 1 700 APPLICANTS EACH YEAR WHOSE MEANS WERE ABOVE THE PRESENT LIMITS, THE WORKING COMMITTEE PROPOSED THAT THE SCHEME SHOULD BE RESTRICTED AS A START TO PLAINTIFFS IN PERSONAL INJURY ACTIONS BROUGHT IN THE HIGH COURT, AMOUNTING TO ABOUT 75 EACH YEAR.
MANGALIA
EXPERIENCE GAINED FROM SUCH A PILOT SCHEME COULD THEN BE ASSESSED AND IN THE LIGHT OF IT, IT WOULD BE OPEN FOR CONSIDERATION WHETHER THE SCHEME COULD BE EXPANDED ON A CONSERVATIVE BASIS, HE SAID.
+SINCE THERE IS NO PRECEDENT FOR THE SCHEME IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE IF IT WERE STARTED ON THE RELATIVELY SMALL SCALE PRESENTLY PROPOSED,+ HE SAID.
HE SAID THE OBJECT OF THE SCHEME WAS TO BE SELF-FINANCING AND HE WAS CONVINCED THAT THERE WAS MUCH MERIT IN IT AND THAT IT WOULD FULFIL A WORTHWHILE SOCIAL PURPOSE.
MR THOMAS SAID FURTHER THOUGHT WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE SUMS OF MONEY REQUIRED TO MEET THE COSTS OF THE PILOT SCHEME FOR THE INITIAL TWO-YEAR PERIOD.
REFERRING TO THE COMMENTS BY THE HON PETER WONG THAT CIVIL DEBTORS SHOULD NOT BE COMMITTED TO PRISON, MR THOMAS NOTED THAT MR WONG HAS WAGED AN IMPRESSIVE CAMPAIGN FOR REFORM AND HAS DEPLOYED POWERFUL ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT HIS PLEA+.
/+I HOPE