WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1986
11
THE LDC THROUGH ITS SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES WAS EXPECTED TO RAISE FINANCE TO FUND INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT FROM PRIVATE SECTOR SOURCES SUCH AS BANKS.
+THE LDC, IF FORMED IN THE MANNER DESCRIBED, SHOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE WEAPON IN THE FIGHT AGAINST URBAN BLIGHT, MR CHAU SAID.
+ IT WOULD HAVE THE INDEPENDENCE TO REACH ITS OWN DECISIONS, YET HAVE THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.+
TRIBUNAL PLANNED TO CLASSIFY ARTICLES *****
THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO INTRODUCE AN OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL TO CLASSIFY AND DETERMINE WHETHER ARTICLES ARE OBSCENE OR INDECENT OR NEITHER, THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, MR ADOLF HSU, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING THE SCHEME, MR HSU SAID THE TRIBUNAL, PRESIDED OVER BY A BILINGUAL MAGISTRATE AND LAY
INCLUDING ADJUDICATORS, WOULD CLASSIFY WHETHER OR NOT ARTICLES - VIDEOS, TAPES, DISCS AND OTHER FORMS OF RECORDING ARE OBSCENE OR INDÉCENT OR NEITHER. IT WOULD ALSO HAVE THE DUAL ROLE OF DETERMINING WHETHER AN ARTICLE IS EITHER OBSCENE OR INDECENT.
IN EXPLAINING THE DUAL ROLES OF THE TRIBUNAL, MR HSU SAID THE CLASSIFICATION PROCESS WOULD BE A CENSORIAL FUNCTION WHEREBY THE TRIBUNAL WOULD CLASSIFY ARTICLES SUBMITTED TO IT BY PUBLISHERS, DISTRIBUTORS, IMPORTERS, PRINTERS, MANUFACTURERS OR THE CROWN INTO THREE CATEGORIES:
CLASS 1
CLASS 11
-
NEITHER OBSCENE OR INDECENT AND MAY BE PUBLISHED WITHOUT RESTRICTION
- INDECENT AND SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON ITS DISPLAY, SALE AND ACCESS AND
CLASS 11 - OBSCENE AND THEREFORE PROHIBITED.
THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE AND INDECENT ARTICLES BILL 1986 WOULD PROHIBIT THE DISPLAY OF ANY INDECENT MATTER AND PROVIDES PENALTIES FOR BREACHING THIS PROHIBITION.
ONCE A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON AN ARTICLE, THE REGISTRAR, SUPREME COURT, WOULD BE OBLIGED TO GIVE NOTICE OF THE CLASSIFICATION IN THE PRESS. SUCH NOTIFICATION WOULD ONLY BE FEASIBLE IN RESPECT OF ARTICLES WHICH HAD TITLES, VOLUME OR SERIAL NUMBERS OR OTHER IDENTIFYING FEATURES.
/HOWEVER,