Tag Archives: China

     The Government published in the Gazette today (February 7) the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 (Commencement) Notice (Commencement Notice). The new “no case to answer” appeal mechanism under the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 (Amendment Ordinance) will come into operation on April 14, 2025.
 
     The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2023 was passed by the Legislative Council (LegCo) on July 12, 2023. Sections 4, 7 and 9 of, and Part 2 of the Schedule to, the Amendment Ordinance provide for a “no case to answer” appeal mechanism, which allows the prosecution to appeal against rulings of no case to answer made by the Court of First Instance of the High Court in criminal trials with a jury. The new appeal mechanism has since awaited enactment of the Criminal Procedure (Appeal against Ruling of No Case to Answer) Rules (Rules) before it commences. 
 
     The Rules, which set out the relevant procedural matters for the new appeal mechanism to facilitate its smooth operation in practice, were made by the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee under section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Cap. 221) on November 14, 2024. The Rules were approved by the LegCo on January 8, 2025. 
 
     With a view to bringing the new appeal mechanism into operation as soon as practicable, the Secretary for Justice, under section 1(3) of the Amendment Ordinance, has appointed April 14, 2025, as the day on which the relevant provisions come into operation. The Rules will come into operation on the same day.
 
     A spokesman for the Department of Justice said, “The new ‘no case to answer’ appeal mechanism addresses the lacuna in the criminal appeal system due to the prosecution’s inability to appeal against erroneous rulings of no case to answer made by judges of the Court of First Instance in jury trials and prevents possible miscarriage of justice.”
 
     The Commencement Notice will be tabled at the LegCo on February 12 for negative vetting. read more

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (February 7) announced that the department tested 56 water samples collected from cooling towers in 38 buildings during its routine inspections in January 2025… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (February 7) that in view of the sustained high level of daily first attendance instances at accident and emergency (A&E) departments in public hospitals, the service demand surge special measures will continue until further notice. During this period, the HA will continue to closely monitor the situation and flexibly arrange hospital beds, manpower and resources to meet the heightened demand while ensuring emergency services remain unaffected.

     In response to the cold weather and increased service demand at public hospitals during multiple long holidays including Christmas and Chinese New Year, the HA activated service demand surge special measures on December 21, 2024, to cope with rising demand for hospital services especially A&E departments and inpatient services. The special measures include enhanced manpower, bed capacity, and laboratory testing services for influenza and other viruses; hospital command centres co-ordinating discharge procedures and supporting arrangements for admission, discharges and transfers to ensure patients receive timely and appropriate treatment and enable beds to be available for new admissions; and special refund arrangements at A&E departments to provide stable patients with the flexibility to choose alternative medical institutions.

     The HA spokesperson said, “Apart from cold weather, there have been reports of influenza and other infectious disease outbreaks at several popular travel destinations recently, and schools have resumed after holidays. Hong Kong’s influenza and other respiratory virus activities are expected to remain active. Since entering the winter influenza season, public hospitals have seen attendance figures notably higher than the baseline, with A&E department attendance reaching around 5 500 and medical ward admissions around 1 100. We urge patients with mild conditions to consider seeking treatment at general outpatient clinics, private doctors or 24-hour outpatient services at private hospitals to reduce pressure on public hospital A&E departments.”

     The HA reminds members of the public to exercise extra caution when travelling during holidays, pay attention to their physical condition at all times, and wear masks in crowded places for enhanced protection. People should also keep warm and stay vigilant regarding personal and environmental hygiene to prevent disease transmission. Those with respiratory infection symptoms should wear masks and seek medical advice promptly. Members of the public can visit the Health Bureau’s Primary Care Directory (www.pcdirectory.gov.hk) to view relevant information on healthcare institutions.

     The HA also appeals to members of the public to get vaccinated early for seasonal influenza and COVID-19, especially high-risk groups, to reduce the chance of infection for themselves and their family members, as well as to reduce critical cases and deaths. For the latest information on vaccination programmes, members of the public may visit the Centre for Health Protection COVID-19 Vaccination Programme website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/106934.html) and the Vaccination Schemes website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/17980.html). read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced toda… read more

     â€‹Hongkong Post announced on February 6 that the acceptance of postal items containing goods destined to the United States will continue to be suspended until further notice.

     The incident arose when the postal administration of the United States suddenly notified Hongkong Post on February 5 that postal items containing goods destined to the United States shall not be despatched with immediate effect, unless a “formal entry” has been completely and accurately filed with the United States Customs and Border Protection in accordance with the United States law. It then suddenly announced on the night of February 5 to continue accepting the postal items concerned.

     The spokesman for the Government said, “Hongkong Post has been communicating with the postal administration of the United States, but there are still matters that need further clarification, including the request of the United States for the imposition of additional duty.”

     “The HKSAR Government reiterates its strong disapproval of the United States’ imposition of additional duty on products of Hong Kong. We urge the United States to take urgent actions to rectify its wrongdoing, so as to avoid causing confusion and inconvenience to the public owing to its constantly changing policies.”

     For enquiries, members of the public may call the Hongkong Post enquiry hotline at 2921 2222. read more