Government Plans to Tighten Land Search as LegCo Adviser Raises 20 Questions on Public Interest Criteria

The government plans to introduce a land title registration system and tighten land searches, with future searches required to meet "specified purposes" such as public interest, and no exemption for the media; 8 related subsidiary regulations have been gazetted. An Assistant Legal Adviser of the Legislative Council Secretariat has written to the government raising more than 20 questions, including whether the assessment factors for public interest applications will be published and whether the public will be consulted. Lawmaker Kenneth Fok says the approach to legitimate newsgathering should be "lenient rather than strict".