XN000022-1984-07-11 — Page 32

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1984

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THE NEW RULES ALSO CLARIFY THE POWER OF THE DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AID TO REFUSE LEGAL AID IN CRIMINAL CASES, AND ENLARGE THE POWER OF THE COURTS TO GRANT SUCH AID WHERE THE DIRECTOR HAD REFUSED IT.

ALSO CLARIFIED ARE THE DUTIES OF LEGAL PRACTITIONERS ASSIGNED TO ACT FOR LEGALLY AIDED PERSONS, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE SETTLING OF APPEALS AND FEES PAYABLE.

+THESE AMENDING RULES REPRESENT A MODEST BUT WELCOME IMPROVEMENT TO THE PROCEDURES WHICH APPLY TO LEGAL AID IN CRIMINAL CASES,+ SAID MR O'GRADY.

DANGEROUS SIGNS: NO PROSECUTIONS IN THREE YEARS

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IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, NO PROSECUTIONS HAD BEEN BROUGHT AGAINST OWNERS OF DANGEROUS SIGNS, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON IAN MACPHERSON SAID TODAY.

THE REASON, HE SAID, WAS THAT WHERE OWNERS HAD BEEN LOCATED, THEY HAD EITHER REMOVED OR REPAIRED THE DANGEROUS SIGNS THEMSELVES. WHERE THE OWNER COULD NOT BE TRACED, THE AUTHORITIES HAD HAD TO REQUEST THE BUILDING AUTHORITY TO REMOVE THE SIGNS AND NO PROSECUTION COULD BE INSTITUTED, HE SAID.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG,

MR MACPHERSON SAID THAT ADVERTISING SIGNS AND THE IR ASSOCIATED HOARDINGS, SCAFFOLDINGS OR OTHER STRUCTURES ARE CONTROLLED BY SECTION 105 OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND URBAN SERVICES ORDINANCE, CHAPTER 132.

THE AUTHORITIES FOR CONTROL ARE THE URBAN COUNCIL IN THE URBAN AREAS, AND THE DIRECTOR OF LANDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

AS REGARDS MEASURES TAKEN TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY, HE SAID THE PRESENT PROCEDURE WAS THAT ALL SIGNS CONSIDERED DANGEROUS WERE REFERRED EITHER BY THE RELEVANT AUTHORITY OR THE PUBLIC TO THE BUILDING AUTHORITY FOR INSPECTION.

IF THE BUILDING AUTHORITY CONSIDERED THE SIGN TO BE DANGEROUS, A CERTIFICATE WOULD BE SERVED ON THE RELEVANT AUTHORITY WHICH WOULD IN TURN SERVE A NOTICE ON THE OWNER OF THE SIGN, REQUIRING THE OWNER TO EFFECT REPAIRS OR REMOVAL IN A SPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME.

/IF THE