Legislative Council (Disciplinary Sanctions and Remote Sitting) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021

by Legislative Council of Hong Kong

Layout 2

Legislative Council (Disciplinary Sanctions and Remote Sitting) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021

Contents

Section

Page

Part 1 Preliminary
1.	Short title ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3005
2.	Enactments amended ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3007
Part 2 Amendments to Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance
3.	Long title amended ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3009
4.	Section 2 amended (interpretation) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3009
5.	Part IV heading amended (offences and penalties) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3011
6.	Sections 20A and 20B added ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3011
	20A.Members not entitled to remuneration and allowance during suspension ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3011
	20B.Members liable to financial penalty if absence causes adjournment of Council ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3011
7.	Section 21 amended (journals printed by order of the Council to be admitted as evidence) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3013
8.	Section 27 added ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3015
	27.Sittings of Council or committee may be conducted remotely ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3015
Part 3 Amendments to The Legislative Council Commission Ordinance
9.	Section 5 amended (office of members) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3019
10.	Section 18 amended (Commission may act notwithstanding vacancies, etc.) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3019
Part 4 Amendments to Legislative Council Ordinance
11.	Section 17 amended (proceedings of Legislative Council not affected by vacancy in membership etc.) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................	A3021

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

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Ordinance No. 27 of 2021

An Ordinance to amend the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to impose sanctions in relation to a member of the Council who is suspended from the service of the Council, or who is absent without valid reasons from a sitting of the Council which is adjourned due to a lack of quorum; to allow sittings of the Council or a committee to be conducted remotely in exceptional circumstances; to amend the provision dealing with the admission of journals as evidence; and to make related amendments to The Legislative Council Commission Ordinance and the Legislative Council Ordinance.

[17 September 2021]

Enacted by the Legislative Council.

Part 1
Preliminary

1. Short title

This Ordinance may be cited as the Legislative Council (Disciplinary Sanctions and Remote Sitting) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021.

2. Enactments amended

(1) The Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance (Cap. 382) is amended as set out in Part 2.

(2) The Legislative Council Commission Ordinance (Cap. 443) is amended as set out in Part 3.

(3) The Legislative Council Ordinance (Cap. 542) is amended as set out in Part 4.

Part 2
Amendments to Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance

3. Long title amended

The long title, before “to provide for”—

Add

“to make provision for disciplinary sanctions against the members of the Legislative Council in certain circumstances;”.

4. Section 2 amended (interpretation)

After section 2(1A)—

Add

“(1B) In relation to a sitting of the Council or a committee conducted remotely pursuant to an authorization under section 27—

(a) the definitions of Chamber and precincts of the Chamber in subsection (1) are to be construed as including the place or places designated under section 27(2) for the sitting; and

(b) the definition of precincts of the Chamber in subsection (1) is not to be construed as including the entire building in which the proceedings of the Council or a committee are conducted, or the entire building in which the place or places referred to in paragraph (a) is or are situated.”.

5. Part IV heading amended (offences and penalties)

Part IV, heading—

Repeal

“Penalties”

Substitute

“Disciplinary Sanctions”.

6. Sections 20A and 20B added

Part IV, after section 20—

Add

“20A. Members not entitled to remuneration and allowance during suspension

(1) This section applies to a member who is suspended under the Rules of Procedure from the service of the Council for engaging in grossly disorderly conduct.

(2) The member is not entitled to receive any remuneration or allowance to which the member is, apart from this section, entitled in respect of the period of suspension, but the member is entitled to be reimbursed the operating expenses incurred by the member in respect of that period.

20B. Members liable to financial penalty if absence causes adjournment of Council

(1) This section applies in relation to a member if—

(a) the member is absent from a sitting of the Council;

(b) the Council is adjourned under the Rules of Procedure because a quorum is not present at that sitting; and

(c) the President is not satisfied that there is a valid reason for the member's absence.

(2) The member is liable to pay a financial penalty on each occasion that the Council is so adjourned.

(3) The financial penalty is to be—

(a) determined by the Council according to the Rules of Procedure; and

(b) deducted from the member’s remuneration to which the member is entitled.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b), it does not matter whether the Council adjourned is subsequently resumed for continuation of any unfinished business under the Rules of Procedure.”.

7. Section 21 amended (journals printed by order of the Council to be admitted as evidence)

(1) Section 21, heading—

Repeal

“printed by order of the Council”.

(2) Section 21—

Repeal

everything after “of any”

Substitute

“member—

(a) any copy of the journals—

(i) printed or purporting to be printed by the Director of Government Logistics; or

(ii) printed or purporting to be printed by or under the authority of the Council; or

(b) any copy of the journals authenticated by the signature of the Clerk,

is to be admitted as evidence of such journals in all courts and places without further proof.”.

8. Section 27 added

After section 26—

Add

“27. Sittings of Council or committee may be conducted remotely

(1) The Council may, by a resolution passed at a physical sitting of the Council, authorize that during a specified period, sittings of the Council or a committee may be conducted remotely in accordance with the Rules of Procedure by the virtual, digital or electronic means determined by the Council.

(2) The President may designate a place or places for a sitting conducted remotely pursuant to an authorization under subsection (1) (remote sitting), including any virtual, digital or electronic location at which members or other persons attending the sitting may attend or participate by remote access.

(3) In relation to a remote sitting—

(a) a reference to a sitting of the Council or a committee in this Ordinance is not to be construed as limited to a sitting at which members or other persons attending the sitting are present in the same place; and

(b) this Ordinance (other than section 8(4)) is to apply to the remote sitting as if it were a physical sitting.

(4) In this section—

physical sitting (實體會議) means a sitting of the Council or a committee at which no member or other person attending the sitting attends or participates by virtual, digital or electronic means;

specified period (指明期間) means a period—

(a) during which the Council or a committee is precluded by an event or occurrence (including an occasion of emergency or public danger) from conducting a physical sitting; and

(b) that is specified in a resolution passed at a physical sitting of the Council.”.

Part 3
Amendments to The Legislative Council Commission Ordinance

9. Section 5 amended (office of members)

After section 5(9)—

Add

“(10) If a member is suspended during a period from the service of the Council under the Rules of Procedure (as defined by section 2(1) of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance (Cap. 382)), the member’s functions and duties as a member are suspended during the period.”.

10. Section 18 amended (Commission may act notwithstanding vacancies, etc.)

Section 18—

Repeal

“and its proceedings shall not be”

Substitute

“, or suspension of a member’s functions and duties under section 5(10) and the proceedings of the Commission are not”.

Part 4
Amendments to Legislative Council Ordinance

11. Section 17 amended (proceedings of Legislative Council not affected by vacancy in membership etc.)

(1) Section 17(1)(a)—

Repeal

“or”.

(2) Section 17(1)(b)—

Repeal the full stop

Substitute

“; or”.

(3) After section 17(1)(b)—

Add

“(c) the suspension of a Member from the service of the Legislative Council under the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council for the time being in force (Rules of Procedure).”.

(4) Section 17(2)(b)—

Repeal

“or”.

(5) After section 17(2)(b)—

Add

“(ba) the suspension of a Member from the service of the Legislative Council under the Rules of Procedure; or”.