TNAG-1850-FCO40-2625-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 71

1989-06-12 17:33 COI RADIO TECH SERVICES.

01 928 8607 P.13

TRANSCRIPT B: SELECT COMMITTEE ON HONG KONG -

12 JUNE 1989

-12-

MR. IVAN LAWRENCE (CONTD) :

Hong Kong after 1997. I think some of us were disturbed

to see that it is the impression of the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office that it may not be possible to exclude

the Chinese National People's Congress entirely from its

normal involvement in the process of interpretation of its

laws and that probably is the source of confusion and

doubt.

Is it an area in which you would feel that the

Chinese Government might want to move, very importantly to

restore confidence, to put in no doubt whatsoever the

conclusion that after 1997 the courts of Hong Kong will

remain the courts of final adjudication and cannot be

superseded by any statement or interpretation from the

Chinese People's Congress?

SIR DAVID WILSON :

The courts of Hong Kong being the courts of final

adjudication is in the Draft Basic Law at the moment.

I think what this revolves around is Article 157,

which we discussed at considerable length last time

appeared before the Committee.

said this the last time

I

There I expect

-

and I

that the lawyers in Hong Kong

would be looking at that, trying to get greater clarity

into it.