14
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1994
IT PROVIDES FOR HIGHER STANDARDS OF PROTECTION AND COMMITMENT TO ENFORCEMENT, HE SAID.
FROM A MACRO ECONOMIC POINT OF VIEW, MR MILLER SAID THE PACKAGE ALSO BROUGHT UNQUANTIFIABLE BENEFITS EASING OF BILATERAL TRADE TENSIONS AND ASSOCIATED POLITICAL BENEFITS; EXTENDING GATT RULES TO NEW AREAS THEREBY MAKING COMPETITION FAIRER AND MORE TRANSPARENT.
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST OECD STUDY ASSESSING THE BENEFITS OF THE ROUND BY 2002, NET WORLD WELFARE COULD BE US$270 BILLION HIGHER, AT CURRENT PRICES, AND EXCLUDING GAINS FROM SERVICES.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS WORK TO BE DONE IN HONG KONG TO IMPLEMENT THE PACKAGE.
NEGOTIATIONS SUCH AS THOSE ON SERVICES ARE CONTINUING, AND NEW ISSUES ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT, COMPETITION POLICY ARE BEING IDENTIFIED, HE SAID.
INTERIM REPORT ON MENTALLY HANDICAPPED
GIVING EVIDENCE IN COURT
*
SPECIAL PROCEDURES WILL BE INTRODUCED TO ASSIST MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE GIVING EVIDENCE IN COURT.
THIS WAS REVEALED BY MR JUSTICE MICHAEL WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE WORKING PARTY ON MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE GIVING EVIDENCE IN COURT, AT A MEET-THE-MEDIA SESSION HELD AT THE SUPREME COURT THIS AFTERNOON.
(TUESDAY)
THE WORKING
INTELLIGENCE,
RELEASING THE FINDINGS OF THE INTERIM REPORT OF PARTY, MR JUSTICE WONG SAID: "AN ADULT PERSON OF NORMAL WHO HAS NEVER APPEARED IN COURT PROCEEDINGS BEFORE, MAY EVIDENCE IN COURT A STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE. FOR A MENTALLY PERSON, THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE EVEN MORE STRESSFUL AND PUZZLING, **
FIND GIVING HANDICAPPED
"IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL THAT IT BE EXPLAINED TO THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WITNESS (IN LANGUAGE APPROPRIATE TO HIM OR HER) THE COURT PROCEDURE BY A PERSON IN WHOM THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PERSON CAN HAVE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE."
"THE COURT ATMOSPHERE AND SETTING SHOULD BE INFORMAL AND RELAXING TO MAKE THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WITNESS FEEL MORE AT EASE AND COMFORTABLE. IT IS FOR THESE REASONS WE CONSIDER SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WITNESS IN COURT PROCEEDINGS NOT ONLY NECESSARY BUT IMPERATIVE, HE EXPLAINED,
+4
/THE 13