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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1985
REFERRING TO THOSE WHO WERE NOT REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS BUT WHO HELD THEMSELVES OUT AS SUCH IN ADVERTISEMENTS PUBLISHED IN NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES, HE SAID THE MAIN IMPEDIMENT TO A SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION IN SUCH CASES WAS ESTABLISHING THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE MIS-REPRESENTATION.
+THIS IS NOT ANY EASY MATTER WITHOUT THE CO-OPERATION OF THE OFFENDER HIMSELF, HE NOTED.
HE SAID HOWEVER, THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH COMPLAINTS AS THEY AROSE,
AS FOR CLAIMS ABOUT THE ABILITY TO CURE CERTAIN DISEASES, HE SAID MOST OF THESE ADVERTISEMENTS USED VEILED LANGUAGE WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO BRING THEM WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE LEGISLATION.
MR THOMAS SAID THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES HAD PROPOSED IN JULY THIS YEAR THAT THE UNDESIRABLE MEDICAL ADVERTISEMENT ORDINANCE SHOULD BE REVISED TO MAKE IT MORE SYSTEMATIC, COMPREHENSIVE AND UP-TO-DATE.
ON FIRE PREVENTION, MR THOMAS SAID THE ADMINISTRATION HOPED TO BRING A BILL TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL EARLY NEXT YEAR, MAKING IT A DIRECT OFFENCE TO PLACE MOVABLE OBJECTS IN CORRIDORS OR ON STAIRCASES,
LOCK ING GATES ACROSS ESCAPE ROUTES WOULD ALSO BE MADE A SPECIFIC OFFENCE, HE ADDED,
HE SAID THAT STAFF OF THE PUBLICITY SECTION OF THE FIRE PROTECTION BUREAU HEADQUARTERS WERE KEPT VERY BUSY GIVING SEMINARS AND TALKS BOTH IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS AND ON THE IR OWN INITIATIVES.
REFERRING TO THE AMOUNT OF LEGAL COSTS RECOVERABLE ON TAXATION IN THE DISTRICT COURT, MR THOMAS SAID THE MATTER WAS BEING ACTIVELY CONSIDERED BY THE DISTRICT COURT RULES COMMITTEE, AND IT WAS HOPED THAT AMENDMENTS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNTS RECOVERABLE WOULD BE MADE TO THE DISTRICT COURT CIVIL PROCEDURE (COSTS) RULES EARLY NEXT YEAR.
COMMENTING ON A SUGGESTION THAT A SECTION OF THE MAGISTRATES *ORDINANCE SHOULD BE MORE WIDELY USED SO THAT PENALTIES COULD BE
IMPOSED WITHOUT THE NEED FOR THE OFFENDER TO ATTEND AT COURT, HE SAID A TRIAL SCHEME WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN CENTRAL AND CHEUNG SHA WAN POLICE DIVISIONS FROM OCTOBER THIS YEAR.
HE SAID: +NATURALLY IT IS TOO EARLY TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS
ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROCEDURE.
+AFTER THREE MONTHS THE JUDICIARY PLAN TO CONDUCT AN INTERNAL REVIEW OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECT ON THE PROCEDURE.
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