WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1992
1
CS ON PRESS FREEDOM
*
FOLLOWING THE ENACTMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM'S 1989 OFFICIAL HAS DECIDED THAT THIS BECRETS ACT, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION SHOULD BE APPLIED TO HONG KONG AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOW ARRANGE FOR THIS TO BE DONE LATER IN THE YEAR.
THIS WAS HON SIR DAVID
MOTION DEBATE ON
THE
STATED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY,
WINDING UP A FORD, AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHEN FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
WOULD BE
SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT ASKED TO APPLY THE 1989 ACT TO HONG KONG BY AN ORDER IN COUNCIL AND HE EXPECTED THIS PROCESS TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
THE 1989 OFFICIAL THAT
SECRETS ACT WAS A HE POINTED OUT
OFFICIAL CONSIDERABLE ADVANCE ON ITS OUTDATED PREDECESSOR THE 1911 SECRETS ACT.
SIR DAVID SAID THE NEW ACT NARROWED THE SCOPE OF THE LAW TO THE MINIMUM NECESSARY FOR PROTECTING OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND IT ADDED THE IMPORTANT NEW NATIONAL INTEREST SAFEGUARD.
"I
MEMBERS
WILL
THAT THIS IS A PROGRESSIVE, AGREE HOPE IMPORTANT AND WELCOME DEVELOPMENT," HE SAID.
ABOUT
1911
THIS
TO
SIR DAVID SAID SOME MEMBERS HAD EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN THE CONTINUED APPLICATION TO HONG KONG OF THE UNITED KINGDOM'S OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT AND THEY HAD POINTED OUT THAT SECTION 2 OF
IT AN OFFENCE ACT COVERED ALL OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND MADE DISCLOSE SUCH INFORMATION WITHOUT LAWFUL AUTHORITY.
ADDRESSED PROVISION
"THE BROAD SCOPE OF SECTION 2 HAS BEEN A CAUSE FOR CONCERN BOTH
THESE CONCERNS WERE HERE AND INDEED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. WHEN SECTION 2 WAS REPLACED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY A NEW WHICH MUCH NARROWS THE SCOPE OF THE OFFENCE," HE SAID.
THE 1989 OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT MAKES IT AN OFFENCE TO OFFICIAL INFORMATION ONLY IN SIX SPECIFIC CATEGORIES.
DISCLOSE
THESE ARE:
(I)
SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE;
(II)
DEFENCE;
(III) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS;
(IV) FOREIGN CONFIDENCES;
(V)
INFORMATION CRIME; AND
WHICH
MIGHT LEAD TO THE
COMMISSION
OF A
(VI)
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNDER A STATUTORY WARRANT,
/HE POINTED
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