XN000022-1995-03-25 — Page 2

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CFA before 1997

The Government will do its best to try to ensure that the Court of Final Appeal would be set up before 1997, the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, said today (Saturday).

Speaking to reporters after officiating at the congregation of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology, the Governor said the Government's position was that it wanted to get on with setting up the Court as rapidly as possible.

"The only guarantee I am giving the people of Hong Kong is that we will do our best to implement the 1991 agreement," he said.

"We want to have the co-operation that was promised in 1991.

"We think it's an issue on which people want us to roll our sleeves up and get on with the job of building the foundations for the rule of law here in Hong Kong."

End/Saturday, March 25, 1995

Transcript of the 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 first congregation of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology this (Saturday) morning:

Question: Director Lu this morning said the British side has to take up the responsibility for the delay of setting up CFA in Hong Kong. What is your reaction?

Governor: I haven't seen a detailed report of Director Lu's remarks. So I don't think it's reasonable to comment on it. Let me say a word in general about the CFA. Chinese officials and PWC members have spent the last week in the United States reassuring American audiences and through American audiences reassuring Hong Kong about their commitment to the rule of law, and as part of that commitment, their determination to live by the 1991 agreement. So we're puzzled about the delays and the problems on the Chinese side. The agreement was reached in 1991. Why suddenly problems being raised now? A draft bill was given to the Chinese side last May, not last week or last month, but last May. And there were a few technical amendments given to them in January, but nothing immensely substantial. So we remain absolutely committed to the 1991 agreement. Chinese side always tell us that they remain committed to agreements as well, and they tell us that they're committed to the rule of law in Hong Kong. So I very much hope we can make rapid progress. We should be able to, what's the problem?