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Governor: We have a Court of Final Appeal at the moment in Hong Kong. It's called the Judiciary Committee of the Privy Council and it applies the Common Law and under the Common Law what constitutes acts of state is absolutely clear. Hong Kong is guaranteed the continuance of the Common Law for 50 years after 1997. I don't quite understand why Director Lu thinks that raises problems. I don't understand exactly what he means when he talks about acts of state constituting a difficulty. But in order to be reassuring to people in Hong Kong, we need to discuss these issues and deal with them as quickly as possible. I hope therefore that Chinese officials will respond very rapidly to our request for another meeting of experts under the umbrella of the JLG. If there're real difficulties which Director Lu has, after having had the bill for a year, then the sooner he talks to us about them the better. Perhaps it would be a help if before he leaves Hong Kong he could suggest to us a date when Anson Chan could meet him in China. He's offered her an invitation to visit China and she wants to take it up whenever it's convenient to both sides. I am sorry a meeting wasn't possible this week. But in his remaining days in Hong Kong, I hope that the Director will continue to have good exchanges with the people of Hong Kong. I hope he will meet as many as possible and I hope he'll learn even more at first hand what a hugely successful, prosperous and stable community this is. Thank you very much indeed.
End/Friday, May 19, 1995
Regulations on newspapers and news agencies amended
The Newspapers Registration and Distribution (Amendment) Regulation 1995 and the News Agencies Registration (Amendment) Regulation 1995 were gazetted today (Friday).
A spokesman for the Home Affairs Branch said the amendments contained in the gazetted Regulations will remove inconsistency between provisions in subsidiary legislation under the Registration of Local Newspapers Ordinance and the Bill of Rights (BOR) Ordinance.
The amendments also form part of the overall review to ensure that existing laws do not infringe press freedom and the right to freedom of expression, he added.
Currently, under Regulation 3 of the Newspapers Registration and Distribution Regulations and Regulation 4 of the News Agencies Registration Regulations, the Registrar has absolute discretion in requiring particulars other than those specified in Form 1 in the Schedule.
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