XN000022-1988-06-10 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1988

IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSAL AC SHOULD ONLY BE THROUGH LEGISLATIVE

THE SPOKESMAN GAVE FIVE REASONS

C FOR THAT ACCESS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

RESPONSIBILITY

THE

FOR

EXECUTIVE

"FIRST, OUR PRINCIPLE IS THAT THE PRIMARY PROTECTING THE INDIVIDUAL AGAINST ANY WRONGFUL ACTS OF SHOULD REST WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND THE COURTS.

"THE REFERRAL SYSTEM RECOGNISES THIS PRINCIPLE AND ASSISTS LEGCO MEMBERS IN THEIR TASK OF MONITORING THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT,

"SECONDLY, THE C FOR AC WILL BE REQUIRED ΤΟ INFORM THE COMPLAINANT, AND THE LEGCO MEMBER BY WHOM THE COMPLAINT WAS REFERRED

EACH OF THE RESULT OF HIS INVESTIGATION IN

CASE. THIS WILL ENABLE LEGCO MEMBERS TO MONITOR CLOSELY THE WORK OF THE C FOR AC.

INTENDED REDRESS

TO

OF

DISRUPTING

"THIRDLY, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE C FOR AC IS

FOR THE SUPPLEMENT AND STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING CHANNELS GRIEVANCES AND NOT TO REPLACE ANY OF THEM. WE MUST AVOID THE OPERATION OF THE OTHER CHANNELS WHICH HAVE BEEN WORKING WELL.

"OMELCO HAS A WIDELY RECOGNISED ROLE AT THE APEX OF EXISTING CHANNELS FOR DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS AGAINST ADMINISTRATION. THIS SHOULD BE PRESERVED.

THE

THE

"FOURTHLY, DIRECT ACCESS TO

THE C

FOR AC COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS DUPLICATION OF RESOURCES AS MANY COMPLAINANTS TEND TO LODGE

COMPLAINTS THEIR

SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CHANNELS.

"FINALLY, THE C FOR AC'S FUNCTION IS ΤΟ INVESTIGATE ONLY

THAT SHOWS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING MALADMINISTRATION. EXPERIENCE

MOST PUBLIC COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATION CONCERN MATTERS OF POLICY OR ARE OTHERWISE OUTSIDE THE C FOR AC'S JURISDICTION.

"DIRECT ACCESS COULD WELL RESULT IN THE TURN AWAY LARGE NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED THEY FALL OUTSIDE HIS JURISDICTION,

C FOR AC HAVING то ON THE GROUNDS THAT

"THIS COULD DO SERIOUS DAMAGE TO HIS CREDIBILITY EVEN BEFORE HE HAS HAD TIME TO ESTABLISH IT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HOC

THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT, WHILE A MAJORITY OF THE LEGCO AD GROUP'S MEMBERS WERE IN FAVOUR OF DIRECT ACCESS IN VIEW OF PUBLIC COMMENT, THE GROUP WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE COUNTER-ARGUMENTS.

HELD

BY

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ANOTHER VIEW COMMONLY COMMENTATORS WAS THAT THE POLICE AND THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION

FOR AGAINST CORRUPTION (ICAC) SHOULD NOT BE EXCLUDED FROM THE C

AC'S JURISDICTION, HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONCLUDED THAT COMPLAINTS

DEALT AGAINST THE POLICE AND THE 1CAC SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE

WITH

SEPARATE MACHINERY.

BY

/"THESE COMPLAINTS