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The fact of the matter is that certain remarks made in private by the Chief Justice, and I read a very interesting column in the Economic Journal yesterday about the dangers if everybody made clear things that had been said to them in private. Some who report remarks in private would find themselves in hottish water. The Chief Justice being reported as having said things in private, said that he would actually let us have those views so that we could see what they were and that seems to me to be a helpful contribution by the Chief Justice. It's not unusual for members of the Judiciary to give the Administration their views on aspects of public policy, or aspects of the administration of the law and I'm sure that they will continue to do so, though this Administration will not, at any time, seek to influence the views of the judiciary or to interfere in the affairs of the judiciary. Nor, I'm sure, will anyone in this Administration report as matters of public controversy things that are said to them at private dinner parties.
Mr Mok Ying-fan (in Chinese): I hope Mr Governor will not mind my follow-up question. About this particular submission by the Chief Justice, will this be tabled to LegCo for reference?
Governor: What the Chief Justice does with his written observations, if or when he produces them, is entirely, entirely a matter for the Chief Justice and I wouldn't seek to influence what he does or says on this point or on any other because I have too much of a respect for the rule of law and because of the importance of an independent, a robustly independent judiciary. One, as I said, of the bulwark's of Hong Kong's freedoms, openness and pluralism.
End/Thursday, November 16, 1995
Guidelines on bathhouse and massage establishments endorsed
The Town Planning Board has endorsed a set of guidelines for commercial bathhouses and massage establishments.
The purpose of the guidelines is to establish the main planning criteria adopted by the Board in considering planning applications for commercial bathhouses and massage establishments. The guidelines were intended to facilitate prospective applicants in preparing their applications, a spokesman for the Board said today (Thursday).