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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1992
PUBLIC ORDER LEGISLATION EXPLAINED
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IS ΤΟ
THE AIM OF HONG KONG'S PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE {POO) RECONCILE THE INHERENT CONFLICT BETWEEN THE FREEDOM OF INDIVIDUALS TO ATTEND PUBLIC GATHERINGS AND THE NEED TO PRESERVE FOR PEACE AND ORDER FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR IAN STRACHAN, SAID TODAY.
SPEAKING AT A FORUM ORGANISED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, MR STRACHAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT FULLY RECOGNISED THE RIGHT OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY UNDER ARTICLE 17 OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS ORDINANCE.
"HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXERCISE THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS PUBLICLY THEIR VIEWS ON MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST, HE SAID.
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BUT SUCH A RIGHT CARRIES THE CORRESPONDING RESPONSIBILITY OF DOING SO WITHOUT TRESPASSING ON THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS, WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE INCONVENIENCED BY UNRULY EXPRESSION OF VIEWS.
"THE KEY ISSUE IS TO GET THIS BALANCE RIGHT, HE SAID.
THE PROCESSIONS.
LAW AIMS ΤΟ REGULATE PUBLIC MEFTINGS AND
PUBLIC
"THE LAW DEFINES THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDUCT FOR BETTER REGULATION OF SUCH EVENTS SO THAT PUBLIC ORDER AND PEACE CAN BE MAINTAINED, HE SAID,
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HE NOTED THAT BEFORE 1967, THE LAWS DEALING WITH PUBLIC ORDER WERE SCATTERED IN VARIOUS ORDINANCES AND IN CONNON LAW. THESF WERE LATER CONSOLIDATED INTO THE 1967 PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE.
IN 1980, THE POO UNDERWENT A MAJOR REVIEW IN RELATION TO THE CONTROL OF PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PROCESSIONS. IT WAS CONSIDERED A STEP TO SHIFT THE BALANCE TOWARDS MORF RECOGNITION OF INDIVIDUALS' RIGHT.
INSTEAD OF CONTINUING WITH THE RESTRICTIVE LICENSING SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS, A NOTIFICATION SYSTEM WAS PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICE COULD BE MADE AWARE OF MEETINGS WITH OVER 30 PARTICIPANTS IN PUBLIC PLACES OR OVER 200 PARTICIPANTS IN PRIVATE PREMISES SO THAT THEY HAD SUFFICIENT TIME TO DEPLOY MANPOWER AND MAKE TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS, HE SAID.
P
CERTAIN RELIGIOUS,
PUBLIC
SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ACADEMIC, EDUCATIONAL, CHARITABLE, RECREATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL, BUSINESS OR COMMERCIAL EVENTS WERE EXEMPTED FROM THE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.
TO SAID.
BE
PROCESSIONS INVOLVING MORE TRAN 20 PEOPLE WERE STILL REQUIRED LICENSED IN VIEW OF THE CROWDED FNVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG, HE
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"ALL THESE PROVISIONS ARE STILL TN THE POO AND FORM THE BACKBONE OF IT."
/MR STRACHAN