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Relief for man in the hot seat

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LEGISLATIVE Council President John Swaine and all the thieves in Hong Kong will soon be able to rest easy.

The Administration of Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was gazetted yesterday to clean up a host of legal quirks and strange notions plaguing the law.

Facing the chop is the power of police to search a person's home for stolen goods merely because he or she has a theft conviction, and the position of marine magistrate, once charged with handling any offence committed at sea.

Such a magistrate has not sat for 20 years, and the elegant burgundy seat once given pride of place in the Marine Department disappeared during building works more than 10 years ago. It was found under the President in the Legislative Council chamber, where it has remained.

''It's just as well they're scrubbing the position from the statute books . . . or else it could have got embarrassing when we asked for it back,'' one senior Marine officer said.

''I've noticed he's put a cushion on now, which is not surprising as it could get pretty hard and cold.'' A Legal Department spokesman said the legislation was wide-ranging and long overdue to sort out many oddities, including several Bill of Rights problems such as the theft search provision.

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