XN000022-1973-05-09 — Page 13

MANDATORY SENTENCES

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Wednesday, May 9, 1973

196 CASES PROSECUTED

Since the introduction five months ago of mandatory sentences

against the possession of offensive weapons in public places, a total of 196 cases were prosecuted for this offence between mid-December and mid-March.

Reporting this to the Legislative Council today, the Acting

Attorney General, the Hon. G.C. Thornton, said that although no precise

figures were yet available as to the number of persons convicted in these

cases, consultations with the Director of Criminal Investigation and the

Director of Public Prosecutions suggested that all but a few were convicted.

Of the cases prosecuted, 43 were on Hong Kong Island, 141 in

Kowloon and 12 in the New Territories.

Mr. Thornton said all police officers were made fully aware of

the provisions of the section constituting the offence so that "this

offence is certainly in the minds of police officers when they are in the course of a 'stop and search' operation or when, on the beat or patrol, their attention may be attracted by some person's suspicious behaviour."

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