- 3
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1989
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT TO BE ABOLISHED
ANNOUNCED THAT JUDICIAL BE ABOLISHED AND THAT ALL GIVE SENTENCES OF CORPORAL
THE GOVERNMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY}
·CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN HONG KONG WOULD LEGISLATION GIVING THE COURTS POWER TO PUNISHMENT WOULD BE REPEALED.
"A REVIEW ON JUDICIAL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT HAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE RESULTS OF A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY, A REVIEW OF THE ADEQUACY OF ALTERNATIVE PUNISHMENTS TO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT, AND HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS," A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.
"THE SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A MEASURE OF SUPPORT FOR CORPORAL PUNISHMENT, THIS WAS TEMPERED AWARENESS OF MORE EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING OPTIONS."
LARGE BY THE
THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS CORPORAL PUNISHMENT HAD BEEN ORDERED BY THE COURTS ON ONLY 42 OCCASIONS, AND ONLY TWICE SO FAR THIS YEAR.
"THE DECLINE IN THE USE OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AS A SENTENCING OPTION TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS NOW RARELY USED INDICATES CLEARLY THAT IT CANNOT BE REGARDED AS AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT, AND IS CLEARLY NOT SEEN AS SUCH BY THE COURTS, HE SAID.
|
IN
THAT SENTENCING
"THE REVIEW OF ALTERNATIVE SENTENCES CONCLUDED RESPECT OF OFFENCES FOR WHICH CORPORAL PUNISHMENT WAS A OPTION, THESE WERE SUFFICIENT ALTERNATIVES то ACHIEVE THE PENAL OBJECTIVES OF PUNISHMENT, DETERRENCE, AND REHABILITATION.
"THE DECISION TO ABOLISH JUDICIAL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT DOES NOT IN ANY WAY REPRESENT A RELAXATION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS CRIMINALS.
THE SPOKESMAN
POINTED OUT THAT THE RETENTION OF JUDICIAL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT WOULD HAVE MADE HONG KONG VULNERABLE TO CRITICISM FROM THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE, AS IT WOULD BE CONTRAVENTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS 1966.
IN
"THE ABOLITION OF JUDICIAL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IS FULLY SUPPORTED BY THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE AND THE JUDICIARY, HE SAID.
"THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOW TAKE STEPS TO REPEAL ALL LEGISLATION GIVING THE COURTS POWER TO GIVE SENTENCES OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.
/4