THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1987
LEGAL CHANGES REQUIRED TO ENSURE SMOOTH TRANSITION
專
LEGAL CHANGES WILL HAVE TO BE MADE IN THE RUN-UP TO ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.
1997 IN
IN A
THIS WAS SAID BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR MICHAEL THOMAS, SPEECH TO THE HARVARD LAW SCHOOL EAST ASIAN LEGAL STUDIES PROGRAMME IN BOSTON ON THURSDAY (U.S. TIME). HE WAS ON THE SECOND LEG OF HIS EIGHT- TO DISCUSS OFFICIAL VISIT TO NEW YORK, BOSTON, LONDON AND PARIS HONG KONG'S LEGAL SYSTEM.
WERE BRITISH
CHANGES THESE ADDRESSING H15 AUDIENCE, MR THOMAS SAID
A REQUIRED TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR HONG KONG FROM DEPENDENT TERRITORY TO A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
HE SAID THE UK PARLIAMENT HAD ALREADY PASSED THE HONG KONG ACT 1985 UNDER WHICH BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY WOULD BE TERMINATED AS FROM 1, 1997.
JULY
OR DO WHAT PASS LAWS WITH
"IT WILL ALSO ENABLE THE HONG KONG LEGISLATURE TO DISAPPLY AMEND UK STATUTES THAT PRESENTLY APPLY IN HONG KONG AND TO COLONIAL LEGISLATURES ORDINARILY CANNOT DO, NAMELY EXTRA-TERRITORIAL EFFECT," HE SAID.
IMPORTANT FIELDS,
THESE POWERS ARE NECESSARY BECAUSE IN SOME NOTABLY MERCHANT SHIPPING, CIVIL AVIATION, COPYRIGHT AND PATENTS, HONG KONG LAWS ARE PRESENTLY CONTAINED IN UK STATUTES.
AFTER 1997 THESE
WOULD BE
CHINESE
MR
WITH INCONSISTENT SOVEREIGNTY, SO HONG KONG HAD TO MAKE ITS OWN LAWS IN THESE AREAS, THOMAS SAID.
KONG MR THOMAS ALSO SAID THE MANY TREATIES APPLICABLE TO HONG WERE BEING EXAMINED
OF THE JOINT ONE BY ONE IN A LEGAL SUB-GROUP LIAISON GROUP.
RELATING POLICIES
HE
TO LAND HAD BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE LAND COMMISSION COMPRISING CHINESE AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ADDED.
"80,
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE 18 A GREAT DEAL BEING DONE, AND TO BE DONE, TO PREPARE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW HONG KONG SPECIAL
... MR REGION OF THE PROPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, ADMINISTRATIVE
SAID.
THOMAS
BEFORE FLYING ON TO LONDON, MR THOMAS WILL DELIVER A SPEECH TO THE BOSTON BAR ASSOCIATION.
O
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