XN000022-1990-05-16 — Page 9

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1990

THE EXCEPTIONS INVOLVED ONLY LOWERING THE AGE FOR SEEING MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS AND THE MINIMUM AGE PERMITTED ΤΟ GET MARRIED, SHE ADDED.

"I FOUND NO GOOD REASON WHY OVERWHELMING GENERAL COULD BE IGNORED. THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION INDICATED THAT GUIDED BY THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY. THAT IS NOT APPARENT.

OPINIONS

IT

WAS

"HOWEVER, THE REPORT ALSO REFERRED TO THE SURVEY AS NOT BEEN A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY, BUT RATHER A SURVEY OF ORGANISATIONS OR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVING DEALING WITH PERSONS IN THEIR DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES, SHE SAID.

་་

HAVING

THOSE

YOUNG

IF THAT WAS THE CASE, SHOULD THEIR OPINIONS NOT HAVE BEEN HEARD, SHE ADDED.

YOUNG PEOPLE NOW MORE EDUCATED AND SOPHISTICATED

THE HON MIRIAM LAU TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WELCOMED (LEGAL EFFECTS OF AGE) BILL 1989, SUGGESTING THAT IT ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO PLAY A GREATER PART IN THE SOCIETY.

THE

LAW REFORM

WAS A MOVE TO RUNNING OF THE

SHE SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IT WAS TIME THAT A PATERNALISTIC AND OUTDATED VIEW OF YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD END AS THEY WERE NOW MORE EDUCATED AND MORE SOPHISTICATED.

SPEAKING IN THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL, MRS LAU SAID IT WAS NOT RIGHT TO ALLOW HONG KONG TO LINGER BEHIND TIMES WHEN MOST COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, INCLUDING ASIAN COUNTRIES, HAD LOWERED THE AGE OF MAJORITY TO UNDER 21 YEARS, IN MOST INSTANCES 18 YEARS.

SUR SAID THE BILL WAS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN RECOGNISING THE CAPABILITIES AND VALUE OF YOUNG PEOPLE, AND SHE REGRETTED THAT MOST MEMBERS DISAGREED WITH THE AD HOC GROUP'S MAJORITY VIEW THAT MARRIAGE AGE AND VOTING AGE SHOULD ALSO BE LOWERED TO 18.

MRS LAU SAID THAT THERE WERE SUFFICIENT SAFEGUARDS IN THE LAWS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO ENABLE 18-YEAR-OLD YOUTHS FULLY TO TAKE UP THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, INCLUDING COMPANY DIRECTOR, TRUSTEE OR GUARANTOR, AND MANY OF THE WORRIES EXPRESSED BY SOME MEMBERS WERE UNFOUNDED.

г

"HONG KONG IS MOVING TOWARDS A TIME WHEN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WILL NECESSARILY HAVE A GREATER PART TO PLAY IN THE RUNNING OF OUR SOCIETY.

"IT REMAINS