اليا
3
THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1994
BY ANY STANDARDS THIS IS A POSITIVE AND IMPRESSIVE PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITY. TAKEN TOGETHER WITH THE INDEPENDENT JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN HONG VIEW KONG AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS, THE ADMINISTRATION IS FIRMLY OF THE THAT THESE MEASURES WILL PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL AND EFFECTIVE GUARANTEES OF HUMAN RIGHTS BEFORE AND AFTER 1997.
FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SESSION IN LEGCO:
DR DAVID LI:
SIR, THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT RECOGNISES THE KEY INGREDIENT OF HONG KONG'S SUCCESS HAS BEEN THE RULE OF LAW, PARAGRAPH 27, PAGE 6. WILL YOU INFORM THIS COUNCIL, SIR, WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT of THE FINAL COURT OF APPEAL?
THE GOVERNOR :
WE HAVE PASSED LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO THE CHINESE SIDE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THEIR COMMENTS ON THOSE PROPOSALS. WE WOULD THEN INTEND TO DISCUSS THE SUGGESTED BILL WITH THE LEGAL PROFESSION HERE IN HONG KONG WITH BOTH SOLICITORS BARRISTERS AND THEN WE WOULD INTEND TO COME TO THIS COUNCIL WITH LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS AND HOPE THAT WE COULD BE IN A POSITION CONVINCE THE COUNCIL OF THE WISDOM OF THE APPROACH THAT WE HAVE TAKEN.
THE
AND
OUR TO
COUNCIL WILL KNOW THAT TIME, AS EVER, IS NOT ENTHUSIASTICALLY ON OUR SIDE. IT'S CLEARLY THE CASE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE BY THE MIDDLE OF 1996. IT TAKES ABOUT A YEAR FOR THE PRIVY COUNCIL TO HEAR CASES - THAT'S AT THE OUTSIDE AND THEREFORE IF WE HAVEN'T GOT ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE BY MID '96 THERE WOULD INEVITABLY BE SOME SORT OF LACUNA WHICH WE WOULD HAVE TO FILL IN WHATEVER WAY WE COULD. SO WE WILL BE COMING TO THE COUNCIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A CONVINCING CASE THE COUNCIL FOR THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT WE PUT FORWARD.
TO
MR
ALBERT CHAN (THROUGH INTERPRETER): MR PRESIDENT, FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE THE GOVERNOR FOR MAKING HISTORY ON TWO COUNTS FOR HONG KONG WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. FIRST, LAST WEDNESDAY, THE ELECTORAL BILL WAS PASSED BY THIS COUNCIL AND A NEW RECORD WAS THAT YESTERDAY DURING THE LECCO SITTING THE ADMINISTRATION REFUSED TO MOVE THE THIRD READING OF A BILL.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE GOVERNOR THIS: CONCERNING THE '92 ELECTORAL PACKAGE, OF COURSE IT IS A STEP AHEAD IN TERMS OF DEMOCRACY. HOWEVER, YESTERDAY WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION DID OBVIOUSLY, IN TERMS OF THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY, IS A RETROGRESSIVE STEP.
IN THE FAC REPORT IT IS AFFIRMATIVE TOWARDS THE FURTHER DEMOCRATISATION OF HONG KONG. HOWEVER, IN HONG KONG'S COUNCIL SYSTEM IT SEEMS THAT, IN TERMS OF SPIRIT AND IN TERMS OF INSTITUTION, THERE IS CERTAIN DISCREPANCY AND SO Ι WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU THIS, MR GOVERNOR: CONCERNING THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE, THE '92 ELECTORAL PACKAGE, WILL YOU ACCEPT WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION DID YESTERDAY AND WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION DID YESTERDAY? AND HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT IN FUTURE THERE WOULDN'T BE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY AND THE ACTUAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION?
/GOVERNOR