TNAG-0080-FCO40-116-Public-Order-legislation-1967 — Page 27

HONG KONG

LEGAL REPORT

THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE 1967

(No. 64 of 1967.)

Enclosure No. 2

The purpose of this Ordinance is to consolidate into one Ordinance the various provisions dealing with public order and to strengthen the law where experience shows that to be desirable.

2. A draft of the Bill was approved, subject to certain objections, by the Secretary of State (Telegram 2045 of 5th October, 1967). Amendments, designed to give effect to those objections, were later approved (Telegram 2178 of 25th October, 1967) and incorporated in the Bill.

3. The Ordinance follows the draft Bill, as so amended, with the following modifications

(a) the addition to section 7 of a new subsection (5),

with consequential amendments to subsections (1) and (2), to make it clear that the section does not apply to a public meeting in licensed places of public entertainment so long as the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance is complied with or to any public meeting held under a permit granted under section 8 of that Ordinance;

(b) the amendment of section 20(1)(b) so as to reduce the maximum penalty prescribed thereby from seven years to five years imprisonment;

(c) the amendment of section 52 so as to enable the

Commissioner of Police to delegate to police officers of the rank of inspector and above the powers conferred on him by section 4, 6, 7, 31, 37 or 41; and

(a) the deletion from section 13(2) of "in any public

place".

4. Before His Excellency the Governor assented to the Bill in the name and on behalf of Her Majesty, I advised that he could properly do so.

18th November 1967.

Beup Rohats

Attorney General

ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS,

HONG KONG,