TNAG-1362-FCO40-1808-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 142

J

Sir,

Speech by the Secretary for Administrative Services and Information moving the Second Reading of the

Oaths and Declarations (Amendment) Bill 1985 in the Legislative Council on 1 May 1985

I move

that the Oaths and Declarations

(Amendment) Bill 1985 be read the second time.

On appointment a Member of the

Legislative

Council, whether Official or Unofficial, takes an Oath of

Allegiance under which he swears that he "will be faithful

and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

the Second, her Heirs and Successors, according to law".

In the context of moving towards more

retention of the mandatory

representative

government,

requirement to take this oath in its present form may be

undesirable.

It is therefore necessary to have an alternative

oath which could be taken by any Member of the Legislative

Council who does not wish to take the Oath of Allegiance.

This alternative oath would need to be a public

affirmation of duty to show that the Member accepts the

responsibility which he or she has incurred by appointment

or election.