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The Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, and the Consul-General of Australia, Mr Murray Cobban, on behalf of the Australian Government, today (November 25) signed the Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TSP) between the two places.
"Transfer of sentenced persons to their place of origin, by returning them to an environment free of language and cultural barriers and where their friends and relatives can visit them regularly, is conducive to their rehabilitation," Mr Lee said at the signing ceremony. "Our policy is to facilitate such transfers between the HKSAR and other places," he said.
The HKSAR has a programme to establish a network of bilateral TSP agreements with other jurisdictions. TSP agreements have been signed with the United States, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Italy, Thailand, the Philippines, Portugal and the Macao Special Administrative Region.
"The signing of the Agreement today represents another important step forward in the co-operation between Australia and Hong Kong in matters of criminal justice and international law enforcement," Mr Lee added.
Hong Kong and Australia have already signed Agreements on Surrender of Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
The TSP Agreement will enter into force 30 days after both sides notify each other in writing that their respective requirements for entry into force of the agreement have been complied with. Thereupon, Hong Kong residents imprisoned in Australia may apply to serve the remainder of their sentences in Hong Kong, and vice versa.
Ends/Friday, November 25, 2005
Issued at HKT 18:00
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