DEPARTMENT OF LAW

LLAW1013
Legal Research and Writing 1
2014-15 Semester 1
TUTORIAL 2
LEGAL ANALYSIS
TUTORIAL WORKSHEET
Writing Workshop
You will edit / re-write someone elses legal memorandum in relation to Agnes Kwang. You
will then discuss the changes you have made.
Weapons Ordinance (Cap 217)
Your tutor will lead you through a discussion of the answers you have already prepared.
In addition, please consider the following questions:
1. In section 2 why do some definitions use the word means and others includes? What
is the difference?
2. Look at the definition of dispose. Where is dispose used in this Ordinance and what
argument is this definition intended to preclude?
3. If the Arms and Ammunition Ordinance has been repealed, does this mean that
someone sentenced to a term of imprisonment under this Ordinance will now go free?
Why?
4. What is the penalty for an offence under this Ordinance?
5. What do you think the words it shall be presumed until the contrary is proved in section
15 means?
6. What is the purpose of the transitional provisions?
7. Does the Weapons Ordinance make the possession of all martial arts weapons by all
persons a criminal offence? Explain by reference to specific words of the Ordinance.
8. Is the Olympic sport of fencing a martial art for the purposes of the Weapons
Ordinance? Would a fencing foil be included within the class martial arts weapons?
9. Problem Question:
In addition, consider the following facts:
Ambrose Leung is a senior police officer. On the wall of his office, he has displayed a
confiscated knuckleduster that had been confiscated from a member of a triad. He
keeps the knuckleduster as a souvenir but also shows it to junior police officers. He
finds it useful to illustrate the stories he tells the junior officers about what triad
violence in the 1970s was like.

Mi Zhou 2014
Email: zhoumi@hku.hk

2014-15 LLAW1013 LRW1

TUTORIAL 2 WORKSHEET

Is Ambrose committing an offence under the Weapons Ordinance? Please provide

reasons with reference to specific words of the Ordinance.
Looking Forward
Based on your tutorial discussions and in preparation for Tutorial 3, you need to draft a short
memorandum in relation to the following question:
Please advise Ambrose Leung as to whether he is committing an offence under the
Weapons Ordinance. Please provide reasons for your advice.
The memorandum should be less than 400 words. Please see Tutorial 3 Student Instructions
for further details.

Mi Zhou | zhoumi@hku.hk
August 2014