WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1985
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MR WONG THEN DESCRIBED THE SET UP AND TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE ROSKILL COMMITTEE, ADDING THAT IT APPEARED MOST UNLIKELY THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE ABLE TO REPORT IN JULY THIS YEAR, THOUGH IT HAD PLANNED TO DO SO.
+ IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT THE PROBLEMS FACING THE ROSKILL COMMITTEE ARE NOT QUITE THE SAME AS THOSE WE IN HONG KONG ARE NOW FACING, HE OBSERVED.
AS FOR THE SUGGESTION THAT THE WHOLE MATTER SHOULD BE REFERRED TO THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION, HE SAID THE BETTER VIEW WAS THAT, SINCE THE BILL WAS WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IT WAS MEMBERS' RESPONSIBILITY TO DECIDE WHAT COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
HE NOTED THAT MANY CRITICS OF THE BILL WELCOMED UMELCO'S PROPOSAL TO DEFER THE BILL AND SET UP A SELECT COMMITTEE, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF HONG KONG WHO WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT IT WAS AN IDEAL ARRANGEMENT.
SUMMING UP MR WONG SAID HE WOULD EMPHASISE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT WOULD BE THE DUTY OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO ENACT LEGISLATION, WHICH IN ITS COLLECTIVE VIEW, WOULD BEST SERVE THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG.
SIR ROGER LOBO WINDS UP COMMERCIAL CRIMES MOTION
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IN A WINDING UP ON HIS MOTION IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, THE HON SIR ROGER LOBO, SAID THE TERMS OF THE MOTION WERE WIDE ENOUGH TO ENABLE A SELECT COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER ALL THE PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE PROSECUTION AND TRIAL OF COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CRIMES AND NOT ONLY THE PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN THE BILL.
+ I BELIEVE IT IS DESIRABLE TO EXTEND THE SCOPE OF THE ENQUIRY SO THAT THIS COUNCIL MAY RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS IN RELATION TO POSSIBLE CHANGES IN PROCEDURE OTHER THAN IN RELATION TO THE MODE OF TRIAL,+ HE SAID.
HE ENVISAGED THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD CONSIDER AND DRAW ON A WIDE RANGE OF SUBMISSIONS AND MATERIALS, INCLUDING THE REPORT OF THE ROSKILL COMMITTEE ON FRAUD TRIALS, WHEN IT WAS PUBLISHED. IT SHOULD CONCERN ITSELF WITH THE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS OF HONG KONG WHICH MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME AS THOSE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.
/+IN PUTTING