XN000022-1986-07-16 — Page 49

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1986

HE SAID HE HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED A SIMILAR PROPOSAL FROM THE HONG KONG FOREIGN BANK REPRESENTATIVES ASSOCIATION.

+A CREDIT INFORMATION BUREAU IS AN INTERESTING IDEA, BUT ESSENTIALLY ONE FOR THE BANKING COMMUNITY, AT LEAST IN THE FIRST INSTANCE,+ HE NOTED.

+ I HAVE ACCORDINGLY ASKED THE ASSOCIATION TO TAKE THE MATTER UP WITH THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF BANKS. THEY HAVE NOW DONE SO,+ HE ADDED.

MR JACOBS SAID HE COULD CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHY BANKS WOULD WANT MORE INFORMATION ON BORROWERS IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE LATTER'S CREDIT-WORTHINESS WITH MORE PRECISION.

+THERE ARE, HOWEVER, OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: HOW WOULD BORROWERS LIKE THE IDEA OF THEIR BANKERS SHARING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ON THEM? WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS ON A BANKER'S DUTY TO MAINTAIN SECRECY ABOUT HIS CUSTOMER'S AFFAIRS?+

+NOT ALL BORROWERS ARE UNSCRUPULOUS,+ HE ADDED.

POLICE OFFICERS HAVE TO RELY ON OWN JUDGEMENT *****

IT IS RARELY POSSIBLE FOR A POLICE OFFICER TO KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT A MOTORIST IS ABOUT TO COMMIT A TRAFFIC OFFENCE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN REPLY TO A QEUSTION BY THE HON LAU WONG-FAT, MR THOMAS SAID THAT IN THIS RESPECT MOTORISTS WERE LESS THAN HELPFUL.

+EVENTS USUALLY TAKE PLACE SO RAPIDLY THAT A POLICE OFFICER IS UNABLE TO PREVENT AN OFFENCE OCCURRING WITHOUT ENDANGERING HIS OWN LIFE OR THOSE OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, HE SAID.

+HE THUS IS USUALLY LEFT WITH THE DISCRETION AND THE DECISION AS TO WHETHER AND, IF SO, HOW TO ENFORCE THE LAW.+

MR LAU HAD ASKED WHETHER POLICE OFFICERS PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP OR CORRECT MOTORISTS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY COMMITTED A TRAFFIC OFFENCE, OR SHOULD THE OFFICER SIMPLY WAIT FOR A DRIVER TO COMMIT AN OFFENCE AND THEN TAKE ACTION.

MR THOMAS EXPLAINED THAT UNDER SECTION 10 OF THE POLICE FORCE ORDINANCE CAP, 232, THE DUTIES OF THE POLICE FORCE WERE TO TAKE LAWFUL MEASURES FOR PRESERVING THE PUBLIC PEACE, PREVENTING AND DETECTING CRIMES AND OFFENCES; PREVENTING INJURY TO LIFE AND PROPERTY APPREHENDING ALL PERSONS WHOM IT WAS LAWFUL TO APPREHEND AND FOR WHOSE APPREHENSION SUFFICIENT GROUNDS EXISTED, AND CONTROLLING TRAFFIC AND PUBLIC THOROUGHFARES AND REMOVING OBSTRUCTIONS.

/*WHAT Vali ..................