(HKJA/IFEX) – The following is an HKJA statement in response to the Law Reform Commission’s Report: HKJA’s response to the Law Reform Commission’s Report 30 October 2000 The HK Law Reform Commission today released the Stalking Report, proposing to make stalking a criminal offence and to include a victim’s right to sue a stalker for […]
(HKJA/IFEX) – The following is an HKJA statement in response to the Law Reform Commission’s Report:
HKJA’s response to the Law Reform Commission’s Report
30 October 2000
The HK Law Reform Commission today released the Stalking Report, proposing to make stalking a criminal offence and to include a victim’s right to sue a stalker for damages.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association welcomes the Law Reform Commission’s bid to narrow down the definition of stalking and leave it for the court to decide whether certain actions would amount to stalking. But the Association holds that the commission has failed to give adequate protection to news workers in their legitimate news coverage. The HKJA is worried that news workers may easily fall prey to the proposed new offence when covering news which involves public interest.
We maintain that a public interest defence provision should be added to the proposed legislation.
The HKJA will write to the relevant authorities, urging for the inclusion of such a provision to ensure that freedom of speech as enshrined in the Basic Law will not be compromised.
Please visit http://www.hkja.org.hk/ or call 2591-0692 for more details.
The Law Reform Commission’s full report:http://www.info.gov.hk/hkreform/reports/index.htm.
