TNAG-0661-FCO40-810-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 6

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AERSPECTIVE ON THE BRITISH ASIONALITY LAW GREEN FAR

RECOMMENDATIONS AFFECTING 2,600,000 HONG KONG BRITISH SUBJECTS

written by KONG Sun-yeung & published in the September 1977 issue of the monthly journal of HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL.)

5. AIN

... DÚ O

OPPOSED BY BRITISH COMMONWEALTH IMIGRANTS

In April this year the Home Secretary tabled in Parliament the "British Nationality Law Green Faper, setting forth the

present situation of the British Nationality issue and its defects and possible revisions for the information and discussion of the two Houses and of the public. The view thus pooled and collated will form the basis for consideration in future legislation.

There were only some sketchy reports on the Green Paper in Hong Kong newspapers following its publication. It is also known that the Hong Kong Government has made no comments on the possible effects of the Green Paper on local citizens' rights. The whole thing seems to have sunk into oblivion within a few

days.

*

It is the normal rule in Britain that any kind of legislative procedure or administrative measure the implementation of which is likely to have wide-spread repercussions would be dealt with by way of Public Farticipation so that on the one hand a wide sector of public opinion might be sought and on the other hand the true democratic spirit in her administration could be upheld. The four-step process of legislation under which a proposed law appears consecutively in the form of a Green Paper, a White Paper and a Bill and then enactment after its passage through the

two Houses, also serves the same purposes.

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