TNAG-2218-FCO40-3186-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-Letters-Patent-and-R-1991 — Page 67

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

22-APR-1991 17:09

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS BR

852 840 1976

P.13

12

not De

deleyateu, So the change of wozuing is crucial, and what I have to decide is a point of construction of Article XIV reaĆ in the light of the rest of the 1971 version of the Letters Patent.

Article XIII of the Letters Patent

MX.

Article XIII Article XIII

O E

**

Keane felieu very neavily on the history of relating to Land Grants The 1950 versión Of was in the following terms;

:

The Governor, in Our name and on Our behalf, may make and execute, under the Puplic Seal of the Colony, grants and dispositions of any lands which may De lawfully granted or uisposea or Us.

Provided that every such grant or disposition be wate in conformity either witn some law in force in the Colony or with some Instructions addressed to the Governor unaez Our Sign Manual ano

Signet, or through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, or witn 60 lué regulations in

in force in the Colony.

Nothing in this Article shall be construed as preventing the enactment of laws by the Legislature, of the Colony rayaruing the making and execution of suca yrants anu dispositions."

*.

Article XIII was considered by a Full Court

in

consisting of Blair-Kezx,. J. and Mills-Owens, JA in HO Po-sang v. Director of Public Works. (1959) HXLR 632...The. Court was of the opinion that an ayreement "for the renewal

a Crown Lease WAS a disposition of land within the meaning of Article XIII of, the Letters Patent, and that the absence of enabling legislation' it wa's not competent for the Director of public works to enter intó such agreements on behalf of the Governor. At pages 667-8, Mills-Owens, J. put the matter thus:

The contention on behalf of the irector that the second responuent' nolas on the terms of the agreement implies that the execution of agreements for leases of Crown lanus is a matter within the competence of the Director. But whence is his autnority derived in this respect in the aosence of enabling legislation? The answer must Ne that

ΣI'd 0490 698 258

៦ ១ ម

61:21 22-Þ9-166T

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