XN000022-1988-07-20 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1988

"THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT BELIEVE IT WOULD BE REASONABLE FOR AN AVENUE OF APPEAL TO BE AVAILABLE TO A SMALL MINORITY, BUT NOT TO THE MAJORITY, OF COMPLAINANTS WHOSE COMPLAINTS ARE DEALT WITH BY THE TWO COMMITTEES, MR MATHEWS SAID.

HE ALSO REITERATED THAT IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION ΤΟ APPOINT THE COMMISSIONER AS AN EX-OFFICIO MEMBER OF BOTH THE POLICE COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE AND THE ICAC COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE.

THIS WOULD ENABLE HIM то LEND HIS EXPERTISE ΤΟ THESE ORGANISATIONS AND BOLSTER THEIR OPERATION.

THE RESULTS

MOREOVER, COMPLAINANTS WHO WERE DISSATISFIED WITH OF THEIR COMPLAINTS WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE THE RIGHT, AS AT PRESENT, TO PETITION THE GOVERNOR TO SEEK REVIEW OF THEIR CASES.

MEASURES

TAKEN

"THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT ALL THESE TOGETHER SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR THE REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES ARISING FROM POLICE AND ICAC ACTIONS," MR MATHEWS SAID.

ON THE QUESTION OF PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT IMAGE OF THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS STAFF, MENTIONED BY THE HON HILTON CHEONG- LEEN AND MR LEE, HE SAID THE ADMINISTRATION AGREED IN PRINCIPLE THAT THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS SENIOR AND INVESTIGATORY STAFF SHOULD DE.

NON-CIVIL SERVANTS.

APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THIS WAS IMPLEMENTED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.

HOWEVER, AT THE INITIAL STAGE, IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO AVOID SECONDING CIVIL SERVANTS TO THE COMMISSIONER'S ORGANISATION SO THAT IT MIGHT START OPERATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HE SAID.

THE

TURNING TO THE REMARKS BY DR THE HON HELMUT SOHMEN, IR SAID BILL HAD GONE THROUGH A VERY DETAILED PROCESS OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION.

THIS INCLUDED TWO MONTHS' CONSULTATION IN THE FORM OF A WHITE BILL PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 30 LAST YEAR, SUBSEQUENT DETAILED STUDY BY THE COUNCIL'S AD HOC GROUP, WHICH NOT ONLY FORMULATED ITS OWN VIEWS BUT ALSO COMMENTED ON THE SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED IN THE PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS, AND, FURTHERMORE, VERY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMENTS MADE BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE AD HOC GROUP.

F

THE GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENTS AND HAS ACCEPTED MANY OF THEM.

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ALL

"THE OVERALL EFFECT OF THESE CHANGES HAS BEEN TO BROADEN SOMEWHAT THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSIONER.

/"THE COMMITTEE