XN000022-1985-06-26 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1985

FIRST, HE WAS INVOLVED IN RECEIVING A REPRESENTATION ON HUMAN FREEDOM AND CIVIL RIGHTS ON CLAUSE EIGHT WHICH CONCERNS THE REGULATION OF ADMITTANCE TO PRECINCTS OF THE CHAMBER.

+ IT SEEMS THAT THE PEOPLE MAKING THE REPRESENTATION HAD A MISCONCEPTION THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WANTS TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS TO LIMIT THE ENTRANCE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER WHICH WOULD BE AN INFRINGEMENT OF HUMAN FREEDOM AND CIVIL RIGHTS,+ HE SAID.

+1 IMMEDIATELY RECALLED WHAT THE UMELCO DELEGATION WENT THROUGH LAST MAY IN ENTERING PARLIAMENT IN LONDON.+

FIRSTLY, THEY HAD TO APPLY FOR ENTRANCE AND UPON OBTAINING A TICKET HAD TO GO THROUGH SECURITY CHECKS.

-

+WE COULD NOT TAKE ANY NOTES DURING THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE

THE FUTURE OF ON THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECT CLOSEST TO OUR HEARTS HONG KONG.

+THESE ARE THE HOUSE RULES THAT ONE MUST OBEY IF ONE WISHES TO ATTEND THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENT,+ MR LEE SAID.

+ IN MY OPINION, CLAUSE EIGHT IS MERELY HOUSE RULES.

+ ASKED THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE REPRESENTATION IF IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THEM IF WE IMPLEMENTED THE RULES OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

+I WAS MET WITH SILENCE.+

IN ADDITION, PEOPLE IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION WERE CONCERNED ABOUT CLAUSE 8(3) THAT THE POWERS OF THE GOVERNOR, AS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL, WERE FAR TOO WIDE IN SCOPE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING THE SECURITY OF THE PRECINCTS OF THE CHAMBER, ENSURING THE PROPER BEHAVIOUR AND DECORUM OF PERSONS THERE IN AND FOR OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES.

+WITH DUE RESPECT TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION, I INVITE THEM TO STUDY THE STANDING ORDERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE LETTERS PATENT AND ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, IN PARTICULAR WITH REGARD TO HIS POWER,+ MR LEE SAID.

+SIR, IF YOU SHOULD EVER WISH TO EXERCISE THESE IN FULL WHICH YOU HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO DO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE A DICTATORIAL GOVERNMENT.

+THEREFORE, THERE IS NO NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO CLAUSE 8(3) AND I AM SURE DISCRETION WILL BE USED IN ANY EVENT.+

SECOND, MR LEE REFERRED TO A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE AND SAID HE WAS SHOCKED TO READ THAT A WELL-KNOWN MEMBER OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION HAD SENT A TELEX MESSAGE TO LONDON ASKING FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE.

/IT WAS

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