TNAG-1850-FCO40-2625-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 72

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

01 928. 8607

P.14

TRANSCRIPT B: SELECT COMMITTEE ON HONG KONG

12 JUNE 1989

-13-

SIR DAVID VILSON (CONTD)

At the moment, as you know, what is left for the

Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is

the power of interpretation on a matter of the Basic Law

not the actual court decision which is something outside

the autonomy of the SAR,

Matters which are within the

autonomy of the SAR, even if they are written into the

Basic Law and the case revolves round interpretation of

the basic law, those remain a matter for the Hong Kong

court. Something which is outside the area of autonomy of

the SAR, where the whole case rests on interpretation of a

section of the Basic Law that, in Article 157, goes to the

Standing Committee of the NPC with certain procedures, but

the final adjudication remains with the Hong Kong court.

MR. IVAN LAWRENCE:

Have the Chinese Authorities accepted that

interpretation of the distinction?

SIR DAVID WILSON :

I am not aware that there is any other

interpretation to it.