XN000022-1987-06-18 — Page 2

1

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1987

AMENDMENTS TO UPDATE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND JUVENILE ORDINANCE

THE GOVERNMENT HAS PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE AND STREAMLINE THE EXISTING PROCEDURES AND ARRANGEMENTS

OF WOMEN CHILD

THE PROTECTION ABUSE CASES UNDER ORDINANCE.

AMENDMENTS

ΤΟ

AND

UPDATE

HANDLING

JUVENILES

(THURSDAY)

GROUP SET

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HEALTH AND WELFARE BRANCH TODAY SAID THE LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS WERE PROPOSED BY A WORKING

THE INTEREST IN

KONK AND MEDIA UP LAST NOVEMBER FOLLOWING PUBLIC

PANEL ON BY THE OMELCO STANDING AH-NUI CASE AND WELFARE SERVICES.

RECOMMENDATIONS

"THE WORKING GROUP COMPRISING

REPRESENTATIVES

GENERAL'S

OF THE HEALTH THE MEDICAL AND NOTED CHAMBERS,

THAT

AND WELFARE BRANCH, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THE ATTORNEY THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND JUVENILES ORDINANCE HAD UNDERGONE VARIOUS 1951 AND HAD OVER THE PIECEMEAL AMENDMENTS SINCE ITS ENACTMENT IN

GIRLS FROM YEARS SHIFTED ITS FOCUS FROM THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN PROSTITUTION AND OTHER FORMS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION TO THE PROTECTION

AND OF CARE OF JUVENILES AND SPOKESMAN SAID.

CHILDREN

IN NEED

PROTECTION,

Н

THE

THE

THE WORKING GROUP FOUND THAT A NUMBER OF THE PROVISIONS OF

SELDOM USED AND THEREFORE ORDINANCE WERE OUTDATED AND OTHERS

REVIEWED, HAVING RECOMMENDED THAT THE ORDINANCE BE COMPREHENSIVELY REGARD TO THE CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES AS WELL OTHER RELATED ORDINANCES.

AS THE

OF

PROVISIONS

COMPLETE,

"AS THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW WOULD TAKE SOME TIME TO THE WORKING GROUP CONSIDERED IT NECESSARY FOR BE ENACTED URGENTLY IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HANDLING CHILD ABUSE CASES,

CERTAIN AMENDMENTS TO PROCEDURES AND THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE PRESENT

TT

IN

WOMEN AND ONE OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS IN THE PROTECTION OF

CARE PROCEEDINGS JUVENILES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1987 PROVIDES FOR RESPECT OF A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF SEVEN TO PROCEED IN HIS ABSENCE, PROVIDED THAT ONE OF HIS PARENTS OR HIS GUARDIAN BEEN FORMALLY NOTIFIED OF THE COURT KNOWN.

HEARING

OR HAS

IS

PRESENT IS IF HIS WHEREABOUTS

COURT THE JUVENILE REQUIRE ANY CHILD OR JUVENILE CONCERNED COURT IF THIS IS CONSIDERED NECESSARY.

WILL

ALSO

BE

TO

THE DISCRETION GIVEN

BE BROUGHT BEFORE

TO

THE

EXISTING

ORDINANCE,

MADE ON DOES

A

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT UNDER THE CHILD MUST BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURT BEFORE A DECISION WAS WHETHER HE WAS IN NEED OF CARE AND PROTECTION. "THIS REQUIREMENT

THE CHILD IS TOO YOUNG NOT APPEAR TO SERVE ANY USEFULL PURPOSE IF EITHER TO EXPRESS A VIEW OR FOR HIS VIEWS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY THE COURT, IT MAY ALSO BE A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR A YOUNG CHILD THE CASE IS CONTESTED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

IF

/HE POINTED