TNAG-0940-FCO40-1159-Visits-by-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Ministers-and-officials-t-1980 — Page 53

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MR CLIFT'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: NOVEMBER 1980

69

PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE

مثل

25.12-

1. As a result of public pressure arising from various incidents

in 1979, particularly involving the Yau Ma Tei Boat People, the

Hong Kong Government decided to amend the Public Order Ordinance.

2. A Bill was put to the Legislative Council in June limiting the

definition of 'meeting' and 'public meeting' and substituting a

system of notifying the Police for one of applying for licences.

The idea was basically to simplify the procedure details are in

ExCo Memorandum Number XCC(80)77 attached.

3. It was intended that the Bill should be enacted during the last

session of LegCo. However, there was an outcry, not just from the

usual pressure groups but also from Justice, that the legislation

was being rushed through. It was therefore agreed that further

readings of the Bill would be held over to the present session to

allow for more public consideration of the proposals.

Hong Kong and General Department

11 November 1980

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