TNAG-0080-FCO40-116-Public-Order-legislation-1967 — Page 107

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8.-

Your Petitioner consider that this Ordinance is making every peace loving, innocent and law-abiding citizen of Hong Kong into a potential criminal and is against the very foundation and

principles of British Justice.

The Attorney General said in his speech, words implying that undefended persons would not be at disadvantage because the magistrate or judge would look after their interests. In Your Petitioner's respectful submission, this again strikes at a very

root of British Justice. Not only is a magistrate or Judge not

really in a position to look after the interests of any particular side when he is judging the case but the argument if taken to its logical conclusion would imply that the system in totalitarian states, where, in criminal law, the accused has to defend himself, is not only acceptable but even ideal.

9.-

The Reform Club would like to add that as 99% of the

citizens of Hong Kong are of Chinese race, Chinese should be made into another official language and bills such as the Public Order Bill be published in Chinese in sufficient time to get the Chinese

speaking public reaction.

10.-

The Reform Club makes a category statement that this particular Public Order Bill in its present state does not in any way represent

the public wishes and is an insult to every loyal and peace-loving

citizen of Hong Kong which form the vast majority of our people.

11--

For all these reasons Your Petition humbly ask you to disallow this present Public Order Ordinance

•

AND Your Petitioner will most humbly pray that God will give you grace

to reign over us happily and justly for many many years.

Hong Kong; dated the 17th day of November 1967.

乃

Bemaschi

Brook Bernacchi,

As Chairman, The Reform Club of Hong Kong.