XN000022-1977-10-26 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1977

17

NEED FOR BETTER INTERPRETATION OF LAWS TO ORDINARY PEOPLE

****

THERE IS A VERY OBVIOUS NEED TO ADOPT A MORE SYSTEMATIC AND METICULOUS APPROACH TO INTERPRET THE LAWS TO THE ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO SPEAK LITTLE OR NO ENGLISH, THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

HE SUGGESTED SIX WAYS TO ACHIEVE THIS:

*

*

*

*

*

SENDING MORE CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS IN BOTH THE EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF THE GOVERNMENT TO COURSES ON TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION,

MAKING MORE AVAILABLE TRANSLATIONS OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS IN COMMON USE,

RECRUITING MORE CANTONESE-SPEAKING MAGISTRATES BY ENLARGING THE UNIVERSITY ENROLMENT OF LAW STUDENTS,

REVIVING THE JP MAGISTRATE SYSTEM,

EXPANDING THE FREE LEGAL ADVICE SCHEME SPONSORED BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE AND MAKING SUCH SERVICE MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE AT CDO OFFICES, AND

* REVIEWING EXISTING POLICIES TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, IF

NECESSARY BY RECRUITING MORE QUALIFIED STAFF.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN ALSO HAD SUGGESTIONS FOR BRINGING DOWN EVEN MORE THE LEVEL OF CRIME. +THERE IS STILL A GENERAL FEELING AMONG THE PUBLIC THAT MUCH MORE HAS STILL TO BE DONE,+ HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT PROPERLY DESIGNED AND ADEQUATE STREET-LIGHTING WAS NEEDED TO PREVENT CRIME AND THERE WERE QUITE A NUMBER OF STREET-LIGHTING +BLACK SPOTS+ REQUIRING URGENT ATTENTION.

HE URGED THAT THE RECENTLY COMPLETED COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON ROAD LIGHTING, WHICH SHOWED UP EXISTING DEFECTS, BE ACTED UPON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THE POLICE SHOULD ALSO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STATIC AND MOBILE NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE UNITS, CARRY OUT MORE PATROLS IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS IN BLACKSPOT+ AREAS AND DURING CRITICAL PERIODS DURING THE DAY OR NIGHT-TIME.

WHILE THE DISTRICT FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME COMMITTEES AND THE MAC'S HAD RENDERED MAGNIFICENT SUPPORT, THERE IS A NEED FOR A RAPID EXPANSION OF CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE IN ALL POLICE DISTRICTS SO THAT HOUSEHOLDERS CAN THEMSELVES COMBAT CRIME THROUGH SIMPLE BUT USEFUL CRIME PREVENTION SELF-HELP MEASURES, HE SAID.

/ON THE WORK

►