Tag Archives: China

     The District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2023 was published in the Gazette today (May 30).
 
     The Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government has announced the proposals on improving district governance to enhance the efficacy of district governance on May 2, 2023. To implement the proposed reform of the District Councils (DCs) in the proposals, the SAR Government will amend the relevant legislation.
 
     The Bill covers six primary legislation and 15 subsidiary legislation and provides for nine key matters, including: (1) functions of DCs; (2) designation of District Officers (DOs) as DC Chairmen, and the relevant powers of DC Chairmen; (3) composition of DCs; (4) the appointment procedures of appointed DC members; (5) the registration procedures of DC ex officio members; (6) the establishment of the District Council Eligibility Review Committee; (7) scenarios where DC members are disqualified; (8) the election methods of DC members to be returned by election and the relevant electoral arrangements; and (9) the performance monitoring mechanism for DC members.
 
     A Government spokesman said, “In order to put an end to the chaos of the sixth-term DCs and restore DCs to the right track, there are necessity and urgency to reform DCs. The purpose of the legislative amendment exercise is to enhance the functions of DCs and reform their composition, so that DCs can return to the positioning under Article 97 of the Basic Law, which are advisory and service bodies that are not organs of political power to be consulted by the Hong Kong SAR Government on district administration and other affairs. The proposals strictly adhere to the three guiding principles for improving district governance, namely: (1) according top priority to national security; (2) fully implementing the principle of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong’; and (3) fully practising executive-led governance.”
 
     The Government spokesman continued, “Reforming DCs is an integral part of improving district governance. By restoring DCs to their positioning under the Basic Law, the principle of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong’ will be fully implemented institutionally. After the Bill commences operation, DCs can once again carry out their service and advisory functions, and co-operate with the SAR Government to implement district work. Efficacy of district governance will be enhanced, thereby achieving good governance and giving citizens greater sense of well-being.”
 
     The Government spokesman added that the Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council (LegCo) for first reading and second reading tomorrow (May 31). The Government will fully complement the work of the LegCo in scrutinising the Bill to strive for its early passage so as to kick-start the extensive preparatory work for the election with a view to forming the new term of DCs on January 1, 2024, to serve the public. read more

     Police today (May 30) appealed to the public for information on a girl who went missing in Ngau Tau Kok.      Tse Yee-lam, aged 15, went missing after she was last seen on Choi Hing Road yesterd… read more

     Hong Kong Customs on May 22 raided a suspected illicit cigarette storage centre in Fanling and seized about 1.1 million suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $4.1 million and a duty potential of about $2.8 million.

     During an anti-illicit cigarette operation conducted in Fanling in that afternoon, Customs officers seized the batch of suspected illicit cigarettes inside a metal house in Ping Che Street. After a follow-up investigation, two men, aged 52 and 66, suspected to be connected with the case, were arrested yesterday (May 29). They were the tenants of the metal house.

     An initial investigation revealed that the illicit cigarette storage centre involved in the case was mainly used to supply illicit cigarettes to residents in the North District.
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     An investigation is ongoing. The two arrested men were released on bail for further investigation. Customs will continue to trace the source and flow of the illicit cigarettes. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
      
     Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multi-pronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.
      
     Customs reminds members of the public that it is an offence to buy or sell illicit cigarettes. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The agenda of the Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting, scheduled for tomorrow (May 31) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex, has been revised.

     The District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2023 will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading.  The Second Reading debate on the Bill will be adjourned.

     For the latest agenda items of tomorrow’s LegCo meeting, please refer to the LegCo Website:　www.legco.gov.hk/yr2023/english/counmtg/agenda/cm20230531.htm. read more

     â€‹The Correctional Services Department (CSD) and the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences of the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) co-organised a sharing forum on correctional psychology research to introduce a new book written by clinical psychologists of the CSD titled “Gripping Insights: Recent psychological research on Hong Kong Corrections” today (May 30). More than 250 professionals engaged in criminal justice-related work, academics and university students attended the event.
      
     The book features 11 academic articles, which is a compilation of the professional knowledge and experience of the CSD’s clinical psychologists in clinical practice and research. It covers a variety of topics, including the psychological characteristics and treatment of persons with sexual offending behaviours and female and male persons in custody (PICs), family relationships of young PICs, psychological distress of elderly PICs, as well as self-harm risk management and applications of virtual-reality technology in treatments for PICs.
      
     Speaking at the forum, the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, said that the CSD set up its Rehabilitation Division in 1998 and clinical psychologists of the Department have been playing an important role in the rehabilitation journey of many PICs over the past 25 years. With an emphasis on evidence-based practice, they have devoted a great deal of time and efforts to develop mental health assessment, psychological therapy and support systems that address the diverse needs of PICS, facilitating their smooth reintegration into the community. As scientist-practitioners, they have also conducted extensive research studies to support these developments that enhance the CSD’s rehabilitation capabilities.
      
     Mr Wong said that to mark the 25th anniversary of the CSD’s Rehabilitation Division, the CSD launches this new book at the forum, which contains professional knowledge and experience gained from years of clinical practice and research by the department’s clinical psychologists. 
      
     The President of CityU, Professor Freddy Boey, said that CityU and the CSD have established a good working relationship and are committed to working together towards a common goal of making contributions to the society through scientific research.
      
     A professional dialogue session was also held in the forum, during which the CSD’s clinical psychologists shared with participants their insights and experience in providing diversified services, emphasising the importance of psychological research in enhancing correctional treatment services. In addition, two PICs and one rehabilitated person, in recorded interviews, shared their rehabilitation processes in the forum, enabling participants to understand that psychological services are crucial for PICs to turn over a new leaf and reintegrate into society.
      
     The CSD will continue to conduct academic events, strengthen scholarly interactions and pass on work experience to the next generation to continuously optimise the rehabilitation work for PICs.