TNAG-0687-FCO40-836-Disturbances-by-police-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 205

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PUBLIC SERVICE IN WHICH COMPLAINTS ABOUT PAST OFFENCES WOULD NOT

NORMALLY BE ACTED ON. WE FELT THAT SUCH AN ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD

GREATLY RELIEVE THE PUBLIC SERVICE. WE HAD ENVISAGED DOING THIS NEXT SPRING. HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF RECENT EVENTS, AND FOR ALL THE DIFFERENCE A FEW MONTHS WOULD MAKE, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELP IF THIS WAS DONE IMMEDIATELY.

5. THEREFORE ALL CONCERNED MAY TAKE IT THAT AS FROM NOW THE 1CAC

WILL NOT NORMALLY ACT ON COMPLAINTS OR EVIDENCE RELATING TO

OFFENCES COMMITTED BEFORE 1 JANUARY 1977 EXCEPT IN RELATION

TO PERSONS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN INTERVIEWED, PERSONS AGAINST WHOM WARRANTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, AND PERSONS NOW OUTSIDE HONG

KONG. 1 EXCEPT PERSONS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN INTERVIEWED BECAUSE

I DO NOT THINK THAT ANYONE WOULD ACCEPT THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT

OPERATIONS, WHETHER BY THE POLICE OR BY THE ICAC, SHOULD BE

HALTED BY EXTRA-LEGAL ACTION. I SAY QUOTE WILL NOT NORMALLY

ACT UNQUOTE BECAUSE OCCASIONALLY AN OFFENCE MAY COME TO LIGHT

WHICH IS SO HEINOUS THAT IT WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE NOT TO ACT AND

THE PUBLIC WOULD NOT TOLERATE FAILURE TO ACT. BUT IN ANY SUCH

CASE I WILL BE CONSULTED FIRST.

6. THERE IS ALSO CONCERN ABOUT THE METHODS AND PROCEDURES USED

BY ICAC IN THE COURSE OF THEIR INVESTIGATIONS WHICH ARE ALLEGED

TO BE EITHER IMPROPER OR ILLEGAL: A UMELCO COMMITTEE LED BY

SIR SIDNEY GORDON ALREADY EXISTS TO MONITOR HANDLING OF

COMPLAINTS BY THE PUBLIC AGAINST THE POLICE. ANOTHER COMMITTEE

UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF SIR Y K KAN IS NOW BEING SET UP TO MONITOR THE ICAC'S HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST ITS OFFICERS, AND ANYONE MAY PUT A COMPLAINT TO UMELCO IF THEY FEEL THAT THEY

HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY TREATED. I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE ATTORNEY

GENERAL TO GIVE THE COMMITTEE ANY ASSISTANCE IT MAY NEED IN THE

DISCHARGE OF ITS DUTIES.

7. THE ATTORNEY. GENERAL WILL BE SPEAKING FURTHER ON THESE ISSUES IN THE COURSE OF THE DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

NEXT THURSDAY.

UNQUOTE

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HKOGD (5)

OPA

MR CORTAZZI

MR STRATTON

то

COPIES

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

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