THE effectiveness of law enforcement could suffer a serious setback under the latest amendments to the Public Order Ordinance, according to the Preliminary Working Committee (PWC) legal sub-group.
Following a study of public order law in Britain and Hong Kong, the China-appointed group also queried the motive behind the changes, believing it would mean a curtailment of the police's powers.
Simon Li Fook-sean, the Hong Kong co-convener, said yesterday the new amendments, introduced in April, could mean a large reduction in the police's ability to maintain public security.
Noting that many of such powers are retained in Britain's statute book, Mr Li, a retired Hong Kong judge, said it was strange for the Government to introduce changes at this time.
''While we in Hong Kong are trying to relax control [on public security], Britain is maintaining a stringent approach. What is the motive behind this?'' Mr Li asked.
He said if the amendments are endorsed by Legco, the group may suggest they be scrapped and returned to their original form.
Article 33 of the existing Public Order Ordinance empowers police officers to conduct body searches at any time on people suspected to be in possession of weapons.
