WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987
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+ IN RESPONSE+, MR FORD SAID, +1 WOULD ADVISE THAT THE TRIBUNAL HAS POWERS TO SET ANY CONDITIONS IT DEEMS APPROPRIATE INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT TO SEAL IN OPAQUE WRAPPER ARTICLES CLASSIFIED AS INDECENT.+
DURING THE COMMITTEE STAGE, MR FORD MOVED AN AMENDMENT TO CLAUSE 13 OF THE BILL.
+AS IT STANDS AT PRESENT, SUB-CLAUSE (2) OF CLAUSE 13 PROVIDES FOR ANY PUBLIC OFFICER TO SUBMIT A PUBLICATION TO AN OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL FOR CLASSIFICATION, HE SAID.
+ ACCEPT THAT IF THE DEFINITION OF PUBLIC OFFICER' IS TOO WIDELY CAST, IT MIGHT BE THE SUBJECT TO ABUSE.
+A SUBSTITUTE SUB-CLAUSE (2) IS THEREFORE INTRODUCED WHICH WILL RESTRICT SUBMISSIONS TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND PUBLIC OFFICERS SPECIFICALLY AUTHORISED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY.+
IN PRACTICE, MR FORD SAID THAT AUTHORITY IN RESPECT OF PUBLIC OFFICERS WOULD BE LIMITED TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING AND OFFICERS OF THE RANK OF SUPERINTENDENT OR ABOVE IN THE POLICE FORCE AND THE CUSTOMS AND
EXCISE SERVICE.
CORRELATION BETWEEN PORNOGRAPHY AND CRIME DESERVES STUDY
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THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LOOK INTO THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PROLIFERATION OF PORNOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE CIRCULATION AND THE CRIME RATE, THE HON CHAN KAM-CHUEN TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE AND INDECENT ARTICLES BILL 1986, MR CHAN SAID THAT AMONG THE OPINIONS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION HE HAD GATHERED AS CONVENER OF THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE BILL, THE MOST PERTURBING WAS ONE ON THE SOCIAL EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY WHICH MENTIONED THAT SURVEYS IN THE UNITED STATES SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A RELIABLE CORRELATION BETWEEN HIGH SEX MAGAZINE CIRCULATION AND HIGH RATE OF SEX-RELATED CRIMES.
HE SAID THERE WAS AN OUTCRY BY PARENTS WHO DID NOT WISH THEIR CHILDREN +POISONED+ BY PORNOGRAPHY, AND THE NOTORIOUS DISPLAY OF OBSCENE AND INDECENT PUBLICATIONS IN HONG KONG'S THOROUGHFARES HAD ALSO OFFENDED THE PUBLIC'S SENSE OF DECENCY.
/HE SAID