DC meeting legally invalid

June 5, 2020

The Home Affairs Bureau said today the National People’s Congress (NPC) decision on the national security legislation is not an issue at the district level and discussing it at a District Council meeting is legally invalid.

 

Seventeen councils, including Eastern, Wan Chai, Southern, Central and Western, Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon City, Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Tai Po, North, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long will hold a Joint Special Meeting of 17 District Councils tomorrow to discuss the NPC Decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security.

 

In a statement, the bureau said it is specified in section 61 of the District Councils Ordinance that the functions of a District Council are to advise the Government on issues related to the district as stipulated in the ordinance.

 

Items and documents to be discussed in a District Council must be compatible with the council functions specified in the ordinance.

 

According to the District Council Standing Orders of the districts, the Chairman shall approve the agenda of a meeting and ensure that the agenda items are compatible with the functions of a District Council as stipulated in section 61 of the ordinance.

 

In view that the topic to be discussed is not an issue at the district level, and is not compatible with the council functions specified in section 61 of the ordinance, this meeting is legally invalid and the council secretariats cannot provide a secretariat service for the meeting, and staff from District Offices and council secretariats will neither attend the meeting nor take any follow-up action regarding the item discussed in the meeting.

 

The Government again urged council members to focus on livelihood issues and advise the Government on district affairs from a pragmatic perspective.

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