XN000022-1987-02-18 — Page 11

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987

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HE SAID THAT OBVIOUSLY HONG KONG WAS IN A PECULIAR SITUATION IN THAT ON THE ONE HAND IT WAS INFLUENCED BY WESTERN IDEAS WHILE ON THE OTHER IT WAS RESTRAINED BY TRADITIONAL CHINESE CONCEPTS.

+THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL CAN POOL THE WISDOM OF THE MANY AND GATHER DIFFERENT OPINIONS TO FORMULATE A FEASIBLE CLASSIFICATION POLICY WHICH SUITS OUR PRESENT SOCIETY,+ HE SAID.

MR YEUNG SAID THAT IN THEORY THE 80 ADJUDICATORS WHO WOULD COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE SHOULD REPRESENT THE GENERAL SENSE OF VALUES. BUT IN APPOINTING ADJUDICATORS, CONSIDERATION MUST ALSO BE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAD A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF YOUTH OR WHOSE WORK WAS CLOSELY CONNNECTED WITH THEIR GROWING-UP.

+FURTHERMORE, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE TRIBUNAL CAN SCRUTINISE PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL FROM THE WOMEN'S POINT OF VIEW AND CONSIDER WHETHER THE FEMALE IMAGE HAD BEEN DISTORTED, THERE SHOULD BE A FAIR NUMBER OF FEMALE ADJUDICATORS, HE SAID.

MR YEUNG ADDED THAT WHETHER OR NOT THE ADJUDICATOR SYSTEM COULD FULFIL ITS OBJECTIVE ADJUDICATING FUNCTION HINGED VERY MUCH ON THE FORMULATION OF A SET OF STANDARDS FOR CLASSFICATION OF OBSCENE AND VIOLENT PUBLICATIONS FOR THE ADJUDICATORS TO RELY UPON, SO AS TO REFLECT TRULY THE PREVAILING MORAL STANDARD.

ADJUDICATING

+ IT IS, THEREFORE, NECESSARY TO WORK OUT A SET OF CRITERIA' WHICH SHOULD BE REGULARLY REVIEWED AND AMENDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHANGING MORAL STANDARD, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE ADJUDICATING CRITERIA COULD BE MADE KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE COMPLIANCE.

OBSCENE ARTICLES BILL PROTECTS MORAL WELL-BEING

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THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE AND INDECENT ARTICLES BILL 1986 REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERN TO PROTECT THE MORAL WELL-BEING OF JUVENILES AND ALSO REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE TO UPHOLD THE CONFUCIAN CONCEPT OF A WELL-ORDERED SOCIETY, THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID SETTING UP A SYSTEM OF TRIBUNALS AS PROPOSED BY THE BILL WOULD BRING ABOUT GREATER PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN THE JUDICIAL PROCESS.

HE SAID THE PANEL OF UP TO 80 ADJUDICATORS WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE SELECTED WITH GREAT CARE.

/+IT WOULD