XN000022-1995-11-23 — Page 7

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(4) "While the Bill of Rights Ordinance (unlike the Letters Patent now and the Basic Law in future) cannot entrench anything against future repeal by ordinary legislation, it might be thought to give the Bill of Rights some quality higher than that of ordinary legislation. That too is cause for concern."

Comment: It is unclear what point is being made here. The BORO is a piece of ordinary legislation just like any other statute in Hong Kong. There is nothing in the BORO or the Letters Patent which gives the BORO any status superior to that of other ordinances. It is not entrenched and has no overriding effect in relation to future legislation. What is entrenched, before 1997 by the Letters Patent and after 1997 by the Basic Law, is the ICCPR as applied to Hong Kong. The direction in s.4 of the BORO that all future legislation shall, if possible, be construed so as to be consistent with the ICCPR as applied to Hong Kong, merely reflects this position.

End/Thursday, November 23, 1995

Informal Get Together Between Senior

Hong Kong Civil Servants and Officials of the Chinese Side

Following consultation with the Xinhua News Agency (Hong Kong Branch), we are pleased to announce that the first informal get together between senior Hong Kong civil servants and officials of the Chinese side will take place on 30 November 1995 at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Happy Valley Clubhouse starting at 10:30 am. It will end after lunch.

Participating officers will be:

Mr Dominic Wong Secretary for Housing

Mr Fung Tung Director of Housing

Mrs Fanny Law

Deputy Director of Housing

Mr Joseph Wong

Secretary for Education and Manpower

Mr Lam Woon-kwong Director of Education

Mr Stephen Ip

Commissioner for Labour