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WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1984
STANDING ORDER 7A WAS AMONG A NUMBER OF DESIRABLE CHANGES WHICH HAD EMERGED SINCE THE REVISION OF STANDING ORDERS LAST YEAR TO FACILITATE THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, HE SAID.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT TODAY WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW STANDING ORDER 4A TO ESTABLISH THE TITLE OF COUNSEL TO THE LEGISLATURE TO DENOTE THE SPECIAL POSITION WHICH THE LAW DRAFTSMAN HAS IN THE WORK INGS OF THE COUNCIL.
+ THE TITLE WILL BRING OUT HIS PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITIES AS REGARDS LEGISLATION, AND HIS ROLE IN THE SCRUTINY AND REFORM OF ALL ASPECTS OF THE COUNCIL'S PROCEDURE.
+MOST IMPORTANT IT WILL EXPRESS HIS GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COUNCIL MORE CLEARLY THAN DOES HIS OFFICIAL DESIGNATION WITHIN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBER, MR BRAY SAID.
TO ILLUSTRATE THIS POINT, MR BRAY REFERRED TO THE
AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDER 39(1), WHICH REQUIRES A PRIVATE BILL TO HAVE A CERTIFICATE SIGNED BY THE COUNSEL TO THE LEGISLATURE TO INDICATE THAT IT IS ALL IN ORDER.
+THIS EXAMINATION, MR BRAY SAID, IS PART OF OUR PRESENT PRACTICE AND IS CLEARLY A DESIRABLE SAFEGUARD AGAINST THE INTRODUCTION OF PRIVATE LEGISLATION WHICH MIGHT IN ANY WAY CONFLICT WITH THE FORM OF LAWS OF HONG KONG AND THE STANDING ORDER OF THIS COUNCIL.
+THE INTENTION THEREFORE IS TO FORMAL ISE THIS PRACTICE BY INCORPORATING IT IN THE STANDING ORDERS, AND THE LAW DRAFTSMAN, IN HIS ROLE AS THE COUNSEL TO THE LEGISLATURE, WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT THE FUNCTION OF CHECKS AND BALANCES' IN RELATION TO PRIVATE LEGISLATION.+
AN AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDER 8 (4) PROHIBITS ANY NEW BUSINESS AFTER THE SIX O'CLOCK HOUR OF INTERRUPTION -- OTHER THAN ADJOURNMENT DEBATES -- BUT EXPLICITLY PROVIDES THAT A MOTION TO WAIVE STANDING ORDER 8 SHALL NOT COUNT AS NEW BUSINESS.
+THE EFFECT OF THIS WOULD BE TO ALLOW THE HOUR OF INTERRUPTION TO BE USED AS A MARKER AS TO WHEN THE BUSINESS OF THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD CONCLUDE -- THE PRESIDENT WILL MAKE A FORMAL INTERRUPTION AT THE MOMENT HE DEEMS APPROPRIATE BUT THERE AFTER THE CHIEF SECRETARY WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE THE SUSPENSION OF THE OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE STANDING ORDER, SO THAT THE COUNCIL CAN CONCLUDE THE MATTER IN HAND, AND THE REST OF THE BUSINESS SCHEDULED FOR THE DAY.
+THIS WILL MEAN THAT THE INTERRUPTION OF THE COUNCIL'S BUSINESS IS MADE BY THE PRESIDENT, AS BY RIGHT IT WOULD BE RATHER THAN BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, AS IN PRACTICE IT IS AT PRESENT, MR BRAY SAID.
THE PREVIOUS PROCEDURE, MR BRAY SAID, WAS CUMBERSOME AND CONFUSING.
/THE MAIN
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