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Rules of Procedure

PART D
PETITIONS AND PAPERS
PART D PETITIONS AND PAPERS
  • PART A MEMBERS AND OFFICERS OF THE COUNCIL
  • 1.Oath or Affirmation
  • 1A.Precedence of Members
  • 1B.The President of the Legislative Council
  • 2.Language
  • 3.Presiding in Council and in Committee of the Whole Council
  • 4.Election of President
  • 5.President’s Deputy
  • 6.Duties of the Clerk
  • 7.Counsel to the Legislature
  • 8.Attendance of the Chief Executive
  • 9.Attendance of Public Officers
  • 10.Participation of Public Officers in Proceedings
  • PART B SESSIONS, MEETINGS AND ADJOURNMENTS OF THE COUNCIL
  • 11.Ordinary Sessions
  • 12.First Meeting of Term
  • 13.The Chief Executive’s Policy Address
  • 14.Days and Hours of Meetings
  • 15.Meetings for Urgent Business
  • 16.Motions for the Adjournment of the Council
  • 17.Quorum
  • PART C ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS
  • 18.Order of Business at a Meeting
  • 19.The Agenda of the Council
  • PART D PETITIONS AND PAPERS
  • 20.Presentation of Petitions
  • 21.Presentation of Papers
  • PART E QUESTIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT
  • 22.Nature of Questions
  • 23.Question Time
  • 24.Notice of Questions
  • 25.Contents of Questions
  • 26.Asking and Answering of Questions
  • 27.Meeting under Rule 8
  • PART F STATEMENTS AND PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS
  • 28.Statements by Designated Public Officers
  • 28A.Personal Explanations
  • PART G MOTIONS
  • 29.Notice of Motions and Amendments
  • 30.Manner of Giving Notice of Motions and Amendments
  • 31.Restriction on Motions and Amendments
  • 32.Motions on Previous Decisions of Council
  • 33.Manner of Debating Motions
  • 34.Manner of Debating Amendments to Motions
  • 35.Withdrawal of Motions and Amendments
  • PART H RULES OF SPEAKING
  • 36.Time and Manner of Speaking
  • 37.Recommendations of House Committee as to Time of Speaking
  • 38.Occasions when a Member may Speak more than once
  • 39.Interruptions
  • 40.Adjournment of Debate or of Proceedings of a Committee of the Whole Council
  • 41.Contents of Speeches
  • 42.Behaviour of Members during Meeting
  • 43.Application of Rules to Committees
  • PART I RULES OF ORDER
  • 44.Decision of the Chair
  • 45.Order in Council and Committee
  • 45A.Naming and Suspending
  • PART J VOTING
  • 46.Decision on Motions
  • 47.Decision of Council and Committee of the Whole Council
  • 48.Use of Electronic Voting System
  • 49.Divisions
  • PART JA PROCEDURES FOR PARTICULAR MOTIONS
  • 49A.Application of this Part
  • 49B.Disqualification of Member from Office
  • PART JB REPORTS OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS AND RELATED MOTIONS
  • 49C.Application of this Part
  • 49D.Presentation of Reports of House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments
  • 49E.Motions on Reports of House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments
  • PART K PROCEDURE ON BILLS
  • 50.Form of Bills
  • 51.Notice of Presentation of Bills
  • 52.Presentation and Publication of Bills
  • 53.First Reading of Bills
  • 54.Second Reading
  • 55.Committal of Bills
  • 56.Functions of Committees on Bills
  • 57.Amendments to Bills
  • 58.Procedure in Committee of the Whole Council on a Bill
  • 59.Procedure on Reporting of Bill from Committee of the Whole Council
  • 60.Procedure in Select Committee on a Bill
  • 61.Procedure on Reporting of Bill from a Select Committee
  • 62.Procedure on Recommittal of Bill Reported from Select Committee
  • 63.Third Reading
  • 64.Withdrawal or Postponement of Bills
  • 65.Presentation of Bill for Signature of Chief Executive
  • 66.Bills Returned for Reconsideration
  • PART L FINANCIAL PROCEDURE
  • 67.Presentation and Second Reading of Appropriation Bill
  • 68.Procedure in Committee of the Whole Council on Appropriation Bill
  • 69.Amendments to Heads of Estimates in Committee of the Whole Council on Appropriation Bill
  • 69A.Procedure on Reporting of Appropriation Bill from Committee of the Whole Council
  • 70.Third Reading of Appropriation Bill
  • PART M COMMITTEES
  • 71.Finance Committee
  • 72.Public Accounts Committee
  • 73.Committee on Members’ Interests
  • 73A.Investigation Committee
  • 74.Committee on Rules of Procedure
  • 74A.Committee on Access to the Legislature’s Documents and Records
  • 75.House Committee
  • 76.Bills Committees
  • 77.Panels
  • 78.Select Committees
  • 79.Procedure of Select Committees
  • 79A.Exercise of Voting Rights of Chairmen of Committees
  • 79B.Determining the Time and the Place of a Meeting of a Committee by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee
  • 79C.Determining the Agenda of a Meeting of a Committee by Chairmen of Committees
  • 79D.Powers of Chairman and Deputy Chairman of a Committee in Office
  • 80.Attendance of Witness
  • 81.Premature Publication of Evidence
  • PART N MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
  • 81A.Remote Meetings of Council or Committee
  • 82.Employment of Members in Professional Capacity
  • 83.Registration of Interests
  • 83A.Personal Pecuniary Interest to be Disclosed
  • 83AA.Claims for Reimbursement of Operating Expenses or Applications for Advance of Operating Funds
  • 84.Voting or Withdrawal in case of Direct Pecuniary Interest
  • 85.Sanctions relating to Interests, Operating Expenses or Operating Funds
  • 86.Admission of Press and Public
  • 87.Disorderly Conduct
  • 88.Withdrawal of Members of the Press and of the Public
  • 89.Procedure for Obtaining Leave for Member to Attend as Witness in Civil Proceedings
  • 90.Procedure for Obtaining Leave to Give Evidence of Council Proceedings
  • 91.Suspension of Rules
  • 92.Procedure if Rules of Procedure do not Provide
  • 93.Interpretation
  • Schedule 1 Procedure for the Election of the President of the Legislative Council
  • Schedule 2 Policy on Access to the Legislature’s Documents and Records
  • Schedule 3 Procedure for Conducting Remote Meetings of the Council and a Committee
  • Table showing dates at which Rules of Procedure were made and amended


20. Presentation of Petitions

  • (1)
    A petition may be presented to the Council only by a Member. Every petition shall be in the Chinese language or the English language.
  • (2)
    A Member who wishes to present a petition to the Council shall give notice to the President not later than 3 clear days before the meeting at which he wishes to present it. When giving such notice he shall certify in writing to the President that the petition is respectful and, in his opinion, deserving of presentation. (L.N. 47 of 2021)
  • (3)
    Except with the written consent of the Chief Executive, the President shall not permit a petition to be received if, in his opinion, the petition requests that provision should be made for imposing or increasing a tax, for imposing or increasing a charge on the revenue or other public moneys of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or for altering such a charge otherwise than by reducing it, or for compounding or remitting a debt due to the Government.
  • (4)
    The signification of the Chief Executive's consent shall be recorded in the minutes of proceedings.
  • (5)
    No speech shall be made by a Member presenting a petition beyond a summary statement of the number and description of the petitioners and the substance of the petition.
  • (6)
    If, immediately after a petition has been presented, a Member rises in his place and requests that the petition be referred to the House Committee, the President shall call upon those Members who support the request to rise in their places. If no less than one half of all Members of the Council then rise the petition shall stand referred to the House Committee. (L.N. 187 of 2017)

21. Presentation of Papers

  • (1)
    A paper may be presented to the Council by a designated public officer or, with the permission of the President, by a Member, but no paper shall be so presented unless notice of it has been given not less than 2 clear days before the Council meeting at which the paper is to be presented provided that the President may in his discretion dispense with such notice. (L.N. 47 of 2021)
  • (2)
    Whenever a Member or a designated public officer wishes to present a paper he shall send a copy of it to the Clerk, who shall distribute a copy to each Member and may also arrange for its publication. A copy of the paper shall be laid on the Table of the Council at the opening of the next meeting and the Clerk shall record its laying and the date of publication in the minutes of the proceedings of that meeting.
  • (3)
    Subject to subrules (4) and (4A) and Rule 49D (Presentation of Reports of House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments), whenever a paper has been laid on the Table of the Council, the Member or the designated public officer presenting it may, with the permission of the President, address the Council thereon. (L.N. 74 of 2005; L.N. 245 of 2009)
  • (4)
    Subject to subrule (4A), whenever a report of a Bills Committee or of a committee to which a bill has been referred for consideration under Rule 54(4) (Second Reading) has been laid on the Table of the Council, the Member presenting it may, with the permission of the President, address the Council on the report at the commencement of the resumption of the second reading debate on the relevant bill.
    (L.N. 74 of 2005; L.N. 47 of 2021)
  • (4A)
    Where the purpose of the resumption of the second reading debate on a bill is for making an announcement for the withdrawal of the bill in accordance with Rule 64 (Withdrawal or Postponement of Bills), the Member presenting a report of a Bills Committee or of a committee to which the bill has been referred for consideration at the meeting of the Council at which such an announcement is to be made may, with the permission of the President, address the Council thereon at the time when the report is laid on the Table of the Council.
    (L.N. 74 of 2005; L.N. 47 of 2021)
  • (5)
    Subject to subrule (7), a Member or a designated public officer may address the Council on subsidiary legislation (other than that subject to section 35 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1)) or the instrument referred to in Rule 29(2)(b) (Notice of Motions and Amendments) which is laid on the Table of the Council, provided that the period (or any extended period) under section 34 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1) or under any other statutory provision providing for amendment has not expired. A Member or a designated public officer who wishes to address the Council under this subrule at any meeting shall give written notice to the President of his wish before the beginning of that meeting, and may only address the Council if the President has given his consent.
    (L.N. 129 of 2009; L.N. 245 of 2009; L.N. 47 of 2021)
  • (6)
    No debate may arise on any address presented by a Member or a designated public officer under subrule (3), (4A) or (5) but the President may in his discretion allow short questions to be put to the Member or the designated public officer making the address for the purpose of elucidating any matter raised by the Member or the designated public officer in the course of his address. (L.N. 74 of 2005)
  • (7)
    No address shall be made under subrule (5) on any subsidiary legislation or instrument referred to in the report which is the subject of a motion moved under Rule 49E(2) (Motions on Reports of House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments). (L.N. 245 of 2009)
20. Presentation of Petitions
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Presentation of Petitions
Presentation of Papers

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