XN000022-1987-01-07 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987

MR FORD SUMMARISED THE PRINCIPAL CONTROL SECTIONS OF THE ORDINANCE WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION SOUGHT TO REPEALI

* SECTION 3 WHICH MADE IT AN OFFENCE TO PRINT OR PUBLISH A PUBLICATION WHICH INDUCED THE COMMISSION OF A CRIME OR A PERSON TO JOIN AN UNLAWFUL SOCIETY:

*

*

*

SECTION 4 WHICH PERMITTED A COURT TO SUPPRESS A NEWSPAPER AFTER THE CONVICTION OF ITS PRINTER, PUBLISHER OR EDITOR FOR CERTAIN SPECIFIED CRIMES SUCH AS TREASON, CRIMINAL LIBEL AND OTHER OFFENCES RELATING TO THE MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC ORDER AND SAFETY

SECTION 5 WHICH PROVIDED POWERS TO PROHIBIT THE IMPORTATION OF PUBLICATIONS THAT WERE LIKELY TO HARM LOCAL SECURITY OR ADVERSELY AFFECT PUBLIC ORDER, SAFETY, HEALTH OR MORALS;

SECTION 6 WHICH MADE IT AN OFFENCE MALICIOUSLY TO PUBLISH IN ANY LOCAL NEWSPAPER FALSE NEWS WHICH WAS LIKELY TO ALARM PUBLIC OPINION OR DISTURB PUBLIC ORDER;

SECTIONS 8 AND 9 WHICH ALLOWED THE REGISTRAR OF NEWSPAPERS TO REFUSE OR TO SUSPEND THE REGISTRATION OF NEWSPAPERS OR NEWS AGENCIES THAT WERE CONNECTED WITH NEWSPAPERS WHICH HAD BEEN SUPPRESSED UNDER SECTION 4 AND

* SECTION 10 WHICH PROVIDED FOR THE SEIZURE AND FORFEITURE OF

PRINTING PRESSES USED IN CONTRAVENTION OF REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE ORDINANCE.

+SINCE 1951, THE SUPPRESSION PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN USED MOST SPARINGLY AND NOT AT ALL SINCE 1967 WHEN THREE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS WERE SUSPENDED FOR SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING THE CONVICTION OF THEIR PUBLISHERS, PRINTERS AND EDITORS ON SEDITION CHARGES,+ MR FORD SAID.

-THE OTHER CONTROL PROVISIONS HAVE STOOD ON THE STATUTE BOOK BUT HAVE RARELY BEEN USED.

+ INDEED IT IS DIFFICULT TO ENVISAGE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH WOULD JUSTIFY THEIR USE, OTHER THAN IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION,

+THE EXISTING EMERGENCY REGULATIONS PROVIDE SIMILAR POWERS SHOULD THEY BE REQUIRED.+

MR FORD SAID THE RECENT REVIEW HAD SHOWN THAT THE CONTROL PROVISIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE WERE, TO A LARGE EXTENT, DUPLICATED IN OTHER ORDINANCES.

/+FOR EXAMPLE,