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"The proposal strikes a balance between the protection of press freedom and the need to maintain law and order." the spokesman said.
"Freedom of the press and expression is one of the most important aspects of Hong Kong's way of life which makes the territory a success.
"The Bill is a further step to demonstrate our strong commitment to a free and vigorous press," he said.
The Bill is expected to be introduced into the Legislative Council on June 28.
End/Friday, June 23, 1995
Emergency regulations to be repealed
The Governor-in-Council has decided on June 20 this year that the regulations under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance should be repealed, but that the Ordinance itself should be left unchanged, a government spokesman said today (Friday).
The spokesman said the regulations dated back to the late 1940s and 1960s and were made to deal with events in that particular period of Hong Kong's history.
"They have no relevance to Hong Kong today," he said.
The repeal of the regulations will not affect Hong Kong's capacity to deal with an emergency.
"The power to make regulations under the ordinance will be unchanged. Fresh, modern regulations could be introduced quickly in the unlikely event of an emergency," the spokesman said.
"We believe that the approach we have adopted will enable us to protect the public in any emergency situation in a way which is compatible with the Bill of Rights Ordinance and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as applied to Hong Kong." he added.