10
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1992
INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES (AMENDMENT) BILL INTRODUCED
AND IN THE INTERPRETATION PROPOSED CHANGES
GENERAL CLAUSES MANY OF THE OF A TECHNICAL NATURE AND 1992 { AMENDMENT) BILL
ARE PROVISIONS WOULD SIMPLY REMOVE OUTDATED REFERENCES TO PRACTICES HAVE CEASED,
THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON FINDLAY, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY}.
MOVING THE
SECOND
READING OF THE BILL, MR
THAT
JAMES
то
FINDLAY SAID IN ADDITION TO THE TECHNICAL MATTERS, THE BILL INCLUDED AN AMENDMENT SKCTION 77 OF THE ORDINANCE.
KINGDOM
НЕ SAJD: "THAT SECTION RELATES TO UNITED THAT ARE INCORPORATED IN SOME OF OUR ORDINANCES BY REFERENCE.
ENACTMENTS
MADE IN THE APPLY IN
"UNDER SECTION 77 AS IT NOW STANDS, AMENDMENTS UNITED KINGDOM TO SUCH ENACTMENTS WILL, AS A GENERAL RULE, HONG KONG.
"
TO
"IF THE BILL IS PASSED," MR FINDLAY SAID, "AMENDMENTS MADE
1
AS A GENERAL SUCH ENACTMENTS ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 1994 WILL NOT, RULE, APPLY IN HONG KONG.
"THIS IS IN KEEPING WITIL OUR POLICY OF LOCALISING OUR LAWS REMOVING DEPENDENCE ON SOME UNITED KINGDOM LAWS."
BY
GENERAL
AND INTERPRETATION MR FINDLAY POINTED OUT THAT THE CLAUSES ORDINANCE PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN HONG KONG'S STATUTE BOOK.
OF
THE ORDINANCE CONTAINS PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE CONSTRUCTION, APPLICATION AND INTERPRETATION OF THE LAWS, DEFINES A LARGE NUMBER TERMS AND EXPRESSIONS USED IN LAWS AND IN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
IT IS WIDELY USED BY JUDGES AND LAWYERS AS AN ESSENTIAL AID INTERPRETING THE LAWS.
THE ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED IN ITS PRESENT FORM IN 1966.
IN
WITHIN THE DRAFTING
IN 1987 THE LAW DRAFTSMAN ESTABLISHED A COMMITTER LAW DRAFTING DIVISION OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW THE STYLES AND PRACTICES IN RELATION TO LEGISLATION.
THIS
COMMITTEE
FOUND
THAT
A NUMBER
OF
PROVISTONS
ORDINANCE WERE INCONSISTENT WITH CURRENT PRACTICES OR WERE NO NEEDED.
IN
THE LONGER
MR
FINDLAY
SAID THE
BILL
HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE
LEGAL
PROFESSION.
DEBATE ON THE BULL WAS ADJOURNED.
0
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