TNAG-1365-FCO40-1811-Hong-Kong-Legislative-Council-(Powers-and-Privileges)-Bill-1-1985 — Page 81

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Mr Galsworthy, Hong Kong Dept

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Hong Kong: Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges)

The Secretary of State has been watching the telegrams from Hong Kong on this subject with interest. He is relieved that the clause on defamation of Legislative Councillors has now been withdrawn. But he retains some anxieties about the way this affair has been conducted. In particular he is worried that the Hong Kong Government have sought to rely on the argument that the provisions of their bill follow the standard pattern of legislation developed in other ex-Colonial territories. This seems to him to miss the crucial political point that Hong Kong is not facing the same future as any other ex-Colonial territory, so that the apparent precedents do not hold. He has privately expressed to me some concern that this fundamental political point does not seem to have registered, at least in the drafting of this bill.

13 June 1985

Cc:

PS/Mr Luce Dr Wilson

Matkatts

(P F Ricketts)

+KK 011/12

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1 7 JUN1985

ORAIER

Pi

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PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL