XN000022-1995-01-20 — Page 3

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Consensus in community on Court of Final Appeal

There is a consensus in the community that the Court of Final Appeal should be set up as soon as possible so that there can be available after 1997 a court with experience of working and establishing a body of jurisprudence, the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, said today (Friday).

In reply to questions by reporters on the Court of Final Appeal after officiating at the Correctional Services Department's annual inspection, the Governor said the consensus was that it should be in line with the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law and with the 1991 agreement.

Noting that the Chinese side have had a copy of the Court of Final Appeal Bill since last May, Mr Patten said: "The first thing we're looking for, of course, is a reasonably early response from the Chinese side."

"If the Executive Council agree on Tuesday to make certain amendments to the proposed bill, we'll be sending those to Chinese officials as rapidly as possible," he added.

"We've got to give the Legislative Council the time to give the legislation proper care and proper debate, and, of course, we want to mobilise as much consent in the profession and as much agreement in the community as possible," he said.

End/Friday, January 20, 1995

Transcript of Governor's media session

The following is the transcript of the media session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, after officiating at the Correctional Services Department's annual parade today (Friday):

Governor: I am delighted to have this opportunity today of paying another tribute to the Correctional Services Department who do such an excellent job for Hong Kong. We depend on them both in the camps for Vietnamese migrants and in our prisons, and I want to say how grateful I am for everything they do and pay a, particularly, warm tribute to the Commissioner who has done so much for Hong Kong. Thank you very much.