Long-awaited curbs on police powers to stop, search and detain people have been promised within three years, but doubts linger over whether the future administration will support them.
With only 10 days to go to the handover, the Government announced yesterday a three-year target date for introducing definitions on when police can stop and search suspects and how long people can be detained without charge, among other things.
It also announced that 13 measures had been adopted under existing laws, including informing people when and why they were under arrest, and bringing detainees to court as soon as practicable.
The proposals were announced without a target date last October in response to a 1992 Law Reform Commission report on arrest. Police objected vigorously at the time to reductions in their powers.
Provisional legislator and Law Reform Commission member Kennedy Wong Ying-ho last night welcomed the proposals and expected them to be supported by his colleagues, although many of the laws are likely to be handled by their successors.
'We are moving closer and closer to a more democratic society,' said Mr Wong.
'The commission and the Government spent a lot of time reviewing the existing procedures and laws, and I think it's a great step forward,' he added.