TNAG-2487-FCO40-3618-Future-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1992 — Page 225

PRESS RELEASE

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As one example cited, the authority to interpret existing Hong Kong laws in relation to the Basic Law has been delegated to the Chinese National People's Congress rather than the

courts of Hong Kong. If an independent judiciary is not maintained, the protection of human rights is in jeopardy, the

report cautions.

"The agreement was signed before the brutal suppression

of the pro-democracy movement in 1989", said Sir William

Goodhart QC, one of the four authors of the report. "The big

question is will the Chinese government allow the people of

Hong Kong to exercise the rights and freedoms which it has

denied so far to its own citizens? And will the Chinese

government in fact allow Hong Kong the high degree of autonomy which it has promised?"

Sir William Goodhart was part of a mission to Hong Kong along with Y M Raja Aziz Addruse, former President of the Malaysian Bar Council; the Hon John Dowd AO QC, former Attorney General of New South Wales; and Hans-Heiner Kuehne, Law Professor at the University of Trier, Germany.

The mission was sponsored by the ICJ. During the visit, in June 1991, they met members of government, the legal profession, the press, the business community and human rights and political groups. However, they were unable to obtain any co-operation from anyone directly or indirectly representing

China.

The ICJ, headquartered in Geneva, is a non-governmental organisation

founded in 1952. Its task is to defend the Rule of Law throughout

the world and to work towards the full observance of the provisions

in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The ICJ is composed of

31 distinguished jurists from around the globe and has 75 national

sections and affiliated organisations.

For further information:

Sir William Goodhart

tel: 071-831 7332

JUSTICE 353 5100

tel: 071-405 601819-

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