14.
The Acting Chief Justice has now made rules setting out the procedure relating to the making of wasted costs orders; the procedure on appeal against an award of costs; the details to be provided in a claim for costs; the manner in which an application for taxation of costs is to be determined; the procedure on a review of taxed costs; and the court fees payable upon such appeals and taxation.
The approval of the rules today will complete the necessary preparations for the reforms contained in the Ordinance. If the rules are approved, I intend to bring the Ordinance into operation later this month.
Mr President, I beg to move.
End
Police procedures on vulnerable individuals' cases
Following is a question by the Hon Law Chi-kwong and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
It is learnt that the Police manuals stipulate the standard procedures for police officers to follow when discharging their duties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
(b)
(c)
of the reasons why the Police has not released the Police manuals for public information following the implementation of the Code of Access to Information on 1st April 1996;
whether the procedures set out in the Police manuals are consistent with the provisions of the Hong Kong Bills of Rights Ordinance; and
given that certain groups such as battered spouses, handicapped persons and marginal youth have complained that police officers do not respect their legal rights or neglect their special needs when handling cases involving them, whether the Government will consider consulting these groups with a view to making appropriate changes to the Police manuals so as to safeguard the interests of the groups concerned?