11
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1985
A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS WHO MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE UNOFFICIALS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD WISH TO RESERVE THEIR POSITION, ESPECIALLY IN RESPECT OF DETAILS OF THE BILL ITSELF.
A VIEW WOULD BE EXPRESSED AFTER THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER ALL THE RELEVANT FACTS AND ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF PROSECUTING AND TRYING COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CRIMES IN HONG KONG.
AS TO HOW SERIOUS THE PROBLEM OF TRIALS OF COMMERCIAL CRIMES WAS, MR WONG SAID THE PROBLEM, AS PRESENTED TO THE UNOFFICIALS AND AS THE UNOFFICIALS SAW IT, DESERVED CAREFUL EXAMINATION AND WAS ONE THAT SHOULD BE URGENTLY ADDRESSED, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CRIMES IN RECENT YEARS.
MR WONG SAID THE UNOFFICIALS DID NOT KNOW WHETHER THE PROPOSAL IN THE TRIAL OF COMMERCIAL CRIMES BILL WAS THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM, BUT CONSIDERED THE CONCEPT AS WELL AS THE DETAILS OF THE BILL HAD YET TO BE EXAMINED.
CONSEQUENTLY, THE AD HOC GROUP RECOMMENDED THAT THE BILL BE ADJOURNED INDEFINITELY TO ALLOW MORE TIME FOR DISCUSSION, TAKING ROSKILL'S FINDINGS INTO CONSIDERATION.
IT FURTHER RECOMMENDED THAT A SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BE APPOINTED UNDER STANDING ORDER 61(1) TO CONSIDER THE WHOLE ISSUE OF TRIAL OF COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CRIMES AND NOT JUST THE BILL ITSELF.
REFERRING TO THE SUGGESTION THAT THERE HAD BEEN INADEQUATE CONSULTATION AND THAT GOVERNMENT WAS PUSHING THE BILL THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, MR WONG OUTLINED THE BACKGROUND TO THE FORMULATION OF THE BILL AND SAID HE AGREED WITH SIR ROGER LOBO THAT IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO CRITICISE THE ADMINISTRATION FOR FAILING TO CONSULT ADEQUATELY.
J
+CERTAINLY A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE APPEARS TO BE A BREAK DOWN IN COMMUNICATION,+ HE SAID.
+ IT IS A MATTER OF RECORD THAT SOME OF THOSE CONSULTED HAVE NOW CHANGED THEIR MINDS.
+THIS IS PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE.
+ IN THE LIGHT OF EVENTS, ANY ASPERSION RELATING TO THE HANDLING OF THE ISSUE SHOULD BE INTERPRETED IN ITS PROPER PERSPECTIVE, HE SAID,
/MR WONG