28
WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1990
ALTHOUGH AT PRESENT
JUDICIAL
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT MIGHT IMPOSED FOR A WIDE RANGE OF OFFENCES, IN PRACTICE THE COURTS HAD IT VERY SPARINGLY, HE SAID.
BE
USED
AWARDED
"IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, CORPORAL PUNISHMENT HAS BEEN BY THE COURTS ON ONLY 23 OCCASIONS, AND ON NO OCCASION SO FAR IN 1990," MR ASPREY SAID.
11
'I BELIEVE THAT THE COURTS CONSIDER THAT CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IS UNNECESSARY AND OUTDATED, AND THAT THERE ARE OTHER SENTENCING OPTIONS AVAILABLE WHICH BETTER ACHIEVE THE PENAL OBJECTIVES PUNISHMENT, DETERRENCE AND REHABILITA ION.
OF
"THAT ALSO IS THE VIEW OF THE ADMINISTRATION FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF THE ADEQUACY OF ALTERNATIVE SENTENCES AND PUNISHMENTS AVAILABLE TO THE COURTS TO DEAL WITH OFFENDERS, AND IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESULTS OF A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY WHICH WE COMMISSIONED FROM A PRIVATE MARKET RESEARCH COMPANY, HE SAID.
17
"ALTHOUGH MANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SUPPORT THE RETENTION OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT, MOST ALSO CONSIDER THAT I. IS LESS EFFECTIVE AS A PUNISHMENT THAN IMPRISONMENT OR OTHER FORMS OF PUNISHMENT, HE ADDED.
11
DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
0
POLICY ON DETENTION OF YOUNG CHILDREN REVIEWED
THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IS NOT ΤΟ DETAIN YOUNG CHILDREN IN PRISON UNLESS THERE IS NO PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON ALISTAIR ASPREY, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON ELSIE TU, MR ASPREY SAID THE DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS POLICY HAD BEEN REVIEWED FOLLOWING RECENT COURT CASES.
"WE DO NOT NORMALLY DETAIN YOUNG CHILDREN NOR THEIR MOTHERS WHEN THE LATTER SURRENDER THEMSELVES AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
CHILDREN CLOSE RELATIVE
"BUT IN FUTURE WE WILL ENSURE THAT WE WILL NOT DETAIN WHERE RECOGNIZANCE IS PROVIDED, WHERE THE FATHER OR A IS WILLING AND CAPABLE OF LOOKING AFTER THE CHILD, AND WHERE THE MOTHER HAS GIVEN HER CONSENT," MR ASPREY SAID.
"ONLY WHERE THE ABOVE CONDITIONS CANNOT BE MET, OR WHERE THERE ARE STRONG REASONS TO BELIEVE THE CHILD WILL BE ASSISTED ΤΟ ABSCOND, OR WHERE AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILD IS LIKELY TO BE REMOVED FROM HONG KONG WITHIN A FEW DAYS WILL A CHILD BE DETAINED, HE STRESSED.
"I
/"OUR OBJECTIVE
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