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The spokesman said that a judicial warrant would be required for the interception of communications in the course of its sending via the Post Office or by telecommunication, such as telephone calls, facsimile messages, telegrams and pagers.
Under the proposed system, an authorised public officer may apply to one of three designated High Court judges for the issue of a warrant authorising interception of communications where the information required cannot reasonably be obtained by other means.
"The information required must be either for preventing, investigating or detecting serious crime, or for the security of Hong Kong.
"A warrant would be issued for an initial period not exceeding six months, and may be renewed upon application for extension, if justified." the spokesman said.
The Governor will appoint a Justice of Appeal to act as a "Supervisory Authority" to review the issue of and compliance with warrants.
"He will also review the adequacy of safeguards devised by authorised public officers to limit the disclosure of intercepted material," the spokesman said.
"The 'Supervisory Authority' will be empowered to receive and examine complaints from persons regarding unlawful interception by law enforcement agencies and to award compensation to aggrieved individuals.
"To promote accountability, he will furnish annually a report to the Governor and the Legislative Council covering the number of warrants authorised and their average length and extensions," he added.
Members of the public and interested parties should send their views on the consultation paper to the Security Branch, sixth floor, Central Government Offices, Main Wing, Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong on or before April 4 this year.
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