TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1985
18
+SPEAKERS' CORNERS+ NOT FAVOURED FOR PARKS
***
THERE IS A CONSENSUS VIEW AMONG THE AUTHOR ITIES THAT AMPLE PROVISIONS ALREADY EXIST FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING AND MEETINGS AND THAT THE PROPOSAL TO SET UP +SPEAKERS' CORNERS+ IN PARKS WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO FIND FAVOUR WITH THE HONG KONG PUBLIC.
MR HOWARD YOUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL'S RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, SAID THIS TODAY AT THE COUNCIL'S MONTHLY MEETING IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY MR WALTER SULKE.
HE SAID MR SULKE'S PROPOSAL FOR +SPEAKERS CORNERS+ HAD BEEN REFERRED FOR COMMENT TO THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, WHO HAD IN TURN SOUGHT THE VIEWS OF THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY.
+THE LATTER CONSULTED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, AND THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION,+ HE SAID.
IN THE LIGHT OF THE IR CONSENSUS VIEW, MR YOUNG SAID, AND GIVEN THAT ANY CHANGES TO CURRENT PRACTICE WOULD REQUIRE AMENDMENTS TO LEGISLATION BY GOVERNMENT, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S ADVICE TO THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE WAS NOT TO PROCEED FURTHER WITH THE ISSUE.
+FOLLOWING CONSIDERATION, THE SELECT COMMITTEE ACCEPTED THIS ADVICE, HE SAID.
+ IN DOING SO, MEMBERS GENERALLY AGREED THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD CERTAINLY NOT OBJECT TO THE PROPOSAL IF IT SHOULD BE RAISED AGAIN AND IF IT COULD BE DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE WAS A DEMAND TO PROVIDE SPEAKERS' CORNERS AND FOR CHANGES TO THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE.+
HE ADDED THAT LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS WOULD BE NECESSARY SINCE AT PRESENT SECTION 8 OF THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE REQUIRED 7 DAYS' NOTICE TO THE POLICE, AND SUCH NOTICE WAS NOT CONSIDERED COMPATIBLE WITH THE SPONTANEOUS EXPRESSION OF VIEWS INHERENT IN A SPEAKERS' CORNER+.