ON
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1987
HE SAID HONG KONG HAD ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AND THE CHINESE LANGUAGE SPOKEN AND WRITTEN BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WAS MUCH RICHER IN CONTENT AND MORE DIVERSIFIED IN USAGE.
+ IT IS THEREFORE UNWISE TO FOREGO A RICHER AND MORE DIVERSIFIED MEDIUM OF EXPRESSION IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE HARMONISATION, HE SAID.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE, A NEW SUBSECTION WOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986 TO PROVIDE THAT ANY PROPOSED ORDER DECLARING A TRANSLATION OF AN EXISTING LAW TO BE AN AUTHENTIC TEXT COULD NOT TAKE LEGAL EFFECT UNLESS IT WAS LAID BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN DRAFT AND APPROVED BY RESOLUTION.
HE SAID THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT ENSURED A POSITIVE ROLE FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN THE PROCESS OF DECLARING AUTHENTIC TEXTS OF EXISTING LEGISLATION.
+LAWS MUST BE MADE ONLY BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WHETHER IT IS NEW LEGISLATION OR A TRANSLATED VERSION OF EXISTING LEGISLATION WHICH HAS LEGAL FORCE,+ HE SAID.
HE SAID THE FUNCTIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EXECUTIVE MUST REMAIN DISTINCT FROM EACH OTHER, AND ANY COMPROMISE WOULD MEAN AN INFRINGEMENT OF ONE FUNCTION UPON THE OTHER.
MOST APPROPRIATE FIRST STEP TAKEN
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THE PROMULGATION OF AN AUTHENTIC VERSION OF THE LAW IN CHINESE IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE FIRST STEP TO BE TAKEN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF BILINGUAL LEGISLATION, THE HON ANDREW WONG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986 AND THE INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES (AMENDMENT) (NO 3) BILL 1986, MR WONG SAID THE BILLS WOULD GIVE EFFECT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BILINGUAL LAW PROJECT WHICH WAS SO NECESSARY FOR THE CONTINUED STABLE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG TOWARDS 1997 AND BEYOND.
HE ALSO REITERATED THAT THE PRIORITIES LISTED IN THE DISCUSSION PAPER ON LAWS IN CHINESE WERE BASICALLY CORRECT AND SAID HE PERSONALLY BELIEVED THAT THE EXERCISE, AT LEAST IN THE BEGINNING, SHOULD BE REGARDED AS A +TRIAL AND AMEND+ PROCESS.
+THIS IS CERTAINLY THE BEST WAY FOR THE STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO REALISE AND GRASP THE SUBTLETIES BEHIND THE LAWS,+ HE SAID QUOTING FROM HIS SPEECH DELIVERED DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE DISCUSSION PAPER HELD IN JULY.
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