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Rules of Procedure

Schedule 3
Procedure for Conducting Remote Meetings of the Council and a Committee
Schedule 3 Procedure for Conducting Remote Meetings of the Council and a Committee
  • 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


Schedule 3
[Rules 81A]
Procedure for Conducting Remote Meetings
of the Council and a Committee
Application of this Schedule
  1. This Schedule applies to the conduct of a remote meeting of the Council or a committee pursuant to an authorization of the Council under Rule 81A(1) (Remote Meetings of Council or Committee) (“remote meeting”).
  2. The provisions of the Rules of Procedure, House Rules and any other rules and procedures made under the Rules of Procedure shall remain in force except as may be modified or supplemented by this Schedule.
Notice of meeting
  1. Where the President or the chairman of a committee determines that an event or occurrence specified in the resolution referred to in Rule 81A(1) (Remote Meetings of Council or Committee) has reached a point that precludes the Council or a committee from conducting a physical meeting in the Legislative Council Complex, he may direct that meetings of the Council or the committee be conducted remotely. Notice and agenda for a remote meeting shall be given in accordance with the current provisions of the Rules of Procedure.
Conduct of remote meeting
  1. Where a remote meeting is conducted:
    • (a)
      the President or the chairman of a committee or any other presiding Member (as the case may be), other Members attending the meeting and persons invited or summoned to attend the meeting shall join the meeting remotely from a place within Hong Kong through the virtual, digital or electronic means determined by the Council under the resolution passed pursuant to Rule 81A(1) (Remote Meetings of Council or Committee);
    • (b)
      the President or the chairman of a committee or any other presiding Member (as the case may be) shall have all the powers as provided for in the current provisions of the Rules of Procedure;
    • (c)
      Members of the Council or a committee attending the meeting and other participants are required to participate in the meeting from a place within Hong Kong through the virtual, digital or electronic means determined under paragraph (a) and have their faces shown on the screen while they are participating in the meeting; and
    • (d)
      Members of the Council or a committee who participate in a remote meeting in accordance with paragraph (c) shall be counted as present for the purposes of constituting the quorum for the meeting and of voting at the meeting. The identities of participating Members shall be verified or authenticated in accordance with the procedures or guidelines prescribed by the President.
Voting at remote meeting
  1. Only Members who are present when voting takes place shall be permitted to vote.
Voting by a show of hands
  1. Save as otherwise provided in paragraph 9, voting at a remote meeting shall be conducted by a show of hands via the virtual, digital or electronic means determined under paragraph 4(a) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 47 (Decision of Council and Committee of the Whole Council) and the procedures or guidelines prescribed by the President as appropriate.
  2. For any voting in committees (other than a committee of the whole Council, the Finance Committee and its subcommittees), irrespective of whether a division is ordered, members will be notified of the impending voting by the Legislative Council Secretariat if the chairman orders or upon request of a member.
  3. Subject to the provision of an electronic voting system, when a division is ordered, voting at a remote meeting shall be conducted via the virtual, digital or electronic means determined under paragraph 4(a) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 49 (Divisions) and the procedures or guidelines prescribed by the President as appropriate.
Use of electronic voting system
  1. Where an electronic voting system is provided for the purposes of a division ordered at a remote meeting of the Council, a committee of the whole Council, the Finance Committee or its subcommittees, the President, the Chairman in a committee of the whole Council or the chairman of the Finance Committee or its subcommittees may direct that the Members present and voting shall cast their votes in the division by using such electronic voting system in accordance with the procedures or guidelines prescribed by the President.
  2. The procedures or guidelines prescribed under paragraph 9 may provide for matters relating to the manner of conducting a division, including the verification or authentication of the identities of Members present and voting, and the ascertainment of a vote at a division at a remote meeting.
  3. Before a matter is voted upon by using the electronic voting system, Members will be notified of the impending voting by the Legislative Council Secretariat.
Public participation
  1. Remote meetings are deemed to be held in public if records of their proceedings are made available to members of the press and of the public by webcast via the Legislative Council website or a publicly accessible social media platform.
  2. Members of the press and of the public may observe the open proceedings of the Council or a committee in a remote meeting via either the Legislative Council website or a publicly accessible social media platform.
  3. Public access to the precincts of the Chamber shall be precluded during the whole of any day on which a remote meeting is conducted.
Power of the President to prescribe procedures or guidelines
  1. In addition to his powers to prescribe procedures or guidelines under paragraphs 4(d), 6, 8 and 9, the President may prescribe other procedures or guidelines relating to any such matter as may be relevant to the conduct of remote meetings.
(L.N. 11 of 2022)
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