TNAG-1366-FCO40-1812-Hong-Kong-Legislative-Council-(Powers-and-Privileges)-Bill-1-1985 — Page 69

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 280920Z JUN 85

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1297 OF 28 JUNE

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HONG KONG TELNOS 1244, 1245, 1236 AND 1289: LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL.

TUR'S REPORTED PRESS COMMENTARY ON THE INTERVENTION OF MR. JONH MORRIS, MP IN THE PUBLIC DEBATE ON THE POWERS AND PRIVILEGES BILL. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS OF WHICH YOU SHOULD BE AWARE ARE:

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A. IN A PRESS RELEASE DATED 24 JUNE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DAR ASSOCIATION AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE NOT LOOKING TO LONDON FOR SUPPORT'', BUT THEY WERE HAPPY TO CONSIDER ALL HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FROM MPS AND ANYONE ELSE. THEY FELT THAT THE ISSUE WAS ONE THAT COULD BE PERFECTLY ADEQUATELY DEALT WITH IN HONG KONG. IN ANY EVENT HONG KONG HAD TO LEARN TO STAND ON ITS OWN FEET.

B. IN THE THIRD READING DEBATE ON 26 JUNE, MR ALLEN LEE EXPRESSED SHOCK THAT A WELL KNOWN MEMBER OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION HAD SENT A TELEX MESSAGE TO LONDON ASKING FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE''. (A FULL COPY OF MR LEE'S SPEECH HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT TO YOU. HONG KONG TELNO 1234 REFERS.)

C. ON THE SAME DAY A SPOKESMAN FOR JUSTICE SAID THAT THE ASSOCIATION HAD SENT A COPY OF A PRESS RELEASE MADE IN HONG KONG CRITICISING THE BILL TO ONE OF ITS MEMBERS IN LONDON WHO IN TURN HAD FORWARDED IT TO MR MORRIS. (WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS A PERSONAL INITIATIVE MADE WITHOUT AUTHORITY FROM, HONG KONG.)

D. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS TODAY THE COUNCIL OF THE LAW SOCIETY HAS REITERATED THAT NEITHER THE SOCIETY'S COUNCIL NOR ANY OF ITS MEMBERS HAD AT ANY STAGE CONTACTED OR ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ANY PERSON OUTSIDE HONG KONG CONCERNING THE BILL, WHETHER IN CONNECTION WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OR OTHERWISE.

2. THE CHAIRMEN OF JUSTICE AND OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY HAVE TOLD US PRIVATELY THAT THE INCIDENT AROSE OUT OF A SERIES OF UNPLANNED EVENTS. THEY EXPRESSED REGRET THAT IT HAD OCCURRED.

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LIMITED.

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PS | MR LUCE

SIR W HARDING MR WILSON

COPIES MR Fif

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HKCK 011/12

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 8 JUN 1985

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