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WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1986
ME QUESTIONED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPOSING FINES AS A DETERRENT.
+FOR TECHNICAL OFFENCES OR FOR OFFENCES WHICH DO NOT POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR SOCIETY, A FINE WOULD BE A PROPER DETERRENT MEASURE, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, WITH THE TRIAD PROBLEM NOW FACING HONG KONG, COMPULSORY CUSTODIAL SENTENCES MIGHT BE WARRANTED.
REFERRING TO THE OPTION FOR CHANGING THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE CRIMES ORDINANCE RELATING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS MADE DURING THE COURSE OF POLICE INVESTIGATION, MR TAI SAID THE CLEAR DISADVANTAGE WAS THAT A HOSTILE WITNESS MIGHT RESIST TELLING THE TRUTH FOR FEAR OF SANCTION.
AS THE CHANGES WOULD NOT ONLY HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE LAW OF EVIDENCE RELATING TO TRIAD CASES, BUT ALSO ON WITNESS STATEMENTS IN ALL CRIMINAL CASES, MR TAI HOPED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD LOOK AGAIN AT THIS MATTER.
FAIRNESS, EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTI-TRIAD MEASURES QUESTIONED
******
TO PINPOINT AT TRIAD SOCIETY AND NOT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY OF CULPRITS OF ORGANISED CRIME WILL BRING ABOUT TWO PROBLEMS, THE HON ANDREW WONG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE SOUNDED THIS WARNING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT ON THE TRIAD PROBLEM WHILE CONGRATULATING THE GOVERNMENT, THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE AND ITS WORKING GROUP FOR THE DOCUMENT AND SALUTING DISTRICT BOARDS AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS WHO HAD EXPRESSED VIEWS ON IT.
ARE
+BY PINPOINTING AT THE ORGANISATION BUT NOT THE OFFENCE, WE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE? WILL IT FORCE CRIMINALS TO DENOUNCE THE IR TRIAD MEMBERSHIP AND CONTINUE TO COMMIT OFFENCES IN ANOTHER ORGANISED FORM?+ HE ASKED.
MR WONG SAID CRITICS DID HAVE A POINT TO MAKE WHEN THEY SAID THE DOCUMENT WAS FAR FROM COMPREHENSIVE.
HOWEVER, HE CONCEDED THE DOCUMENT DID CONSIDER THE OVERALL PROBLEM APART FROM TACKLING THE TRIAD PROBLEM WITHIN ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE, SUCH AS ITS RECOMMENDATION FOR A FURTHER STUDY OF THE RICO (RACKETEER INFLUENCED CORRUPTED ORGANISATIONS) STATUTE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
/ON SPECIFIC
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