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public and representatives of the press, television and radio, and includes any lobbies, offices or precincts used exclusively in connexion with the proceedings of
the Council;
"Clerk" means any of the following---
(a) the Clerk to the Legislative Council; and
(b) the Clerk of Councils;
"committee” means any standing, select or other committee of the Council;
"Council" means the Legislative Council;
"journals" means the minutes of the Council or the official record of the votes and
proceedings thereof;
"member" means a member of the Council;
"officer of the Council" means the Clerk or any other officer or person acting within the precincts of the Chamber under the orders of the President and includes any police officer on duty within the precincts of the Chamber;
"precincts of the Chamber" means the Chamber and offices of the Council and any adjacent galleries and places provided for the use or accommodation of members of the public and representatives of the press, television and radio, and subject to any exceptions made by the President under subsection (2) includes, while the Council or a committee is sitting, the entire building in which the Chamber is situated and any forecourt, yard, garden, enclosure or open space adjoining or appertaining to such building and used or provided for the purposes of the Council;
"President" means the President of the Council, and includes any other member of
the Council when presiding at a sitting of the Council;
"Standing Orders" means the Standing Orders of the Council for the time being in
force.
(2) The President may, by notice published in the Gazette, order that any part of a building, forecourt, yard, garden, enclosure or open space referred to in the definition in subsection (1) of "precincts of the Chamber" shall be excluded from that definition, either generally or for a specific purpose and either temporarily or permanently.
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6. (1) No process issued by any court in Hong Kong or elsewhere in the Service of civil exercise of its civil jurisdiction shall be served or executed within the precincts of the process and exemptions. Chamber while the Council is sitting, nor shall any such process be served or executed through the President or any officer of the Council unless it relates to a person employed within the precincts of the Chamber.
(2) Except by leave of the Council obtained in accordance with the Standing Orders, no member shall be required to attend as a witness in any civil proceedings on a day when the Council is sitting.
(3) A member shall be exempted from service as a juror in accordance with section 5 of the Jury Ordinance.
(Cap. 3.)
Council or any
7. (1) No member or officer of the Council, and no person employed to take Evidence of minutes or keep any record of evidence before the Council or a committee, shall give proceedings in the evidence elsewhere in respect of the contents of such minutes or record of evidence, or committee not of the contents of any document laid before the Council or committee, as the case to be given may be, or in respect of any proceedings or examination held before the Council or committee, as the case may be, without the special leave of the Council.
(2) During a recess or adjournment of the Council, the special leave referred to in subsection (1) may be given by the President or, if the President is unable to act owing to his absence from Hong Kong or incapacity, in accordance with the Standing Orders.
without leave.
8. (1) Subject to this section, sittings of the Council shall be open to the Regulation of public.
(2) The right of persons other than members or officers of the Council to enter or remain within the precincts of the Chamber shall be subject to the Standing Orders or any resolution of the Council limiting or prohibiting the enjoyment of such right.
(3) The President may from time to time, for the purpose of maintaining the security of the precincts of the Chamber, ensuring the proper behaviour and decorum of persons therein and for other administrative purposes, issue such administrative instructions as he may deem necessary or expedient for regulating the admittance of persons (other than members or officers of the Council) to, and the conduct of such persons within, the Chamber and the precincts of the Chamber.
(4) Copies of administrative instructions issued by the President under sub- section (3) shall be duly authenticated by the Clerk and exhibited in a conspicuous position in the precincts of the Chamber; and such copies when so authenticated and exhibited shall be deemed to be sufficient notice to all persons affected thereby.
admittance to precincts of the Chamber.
Freedom of speech and debate.
Immunity from legal proceedings.
PART II
PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES
3. There shall be freedom of speech and debate in the Council or proceedings before a committee, and such freedom of speech and debate shall not be liable to be questioned in any court or place outside the Council.
4. No civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted against any member for words spoken before, or written in a report to, the Council or a committee, or by reason of any matter brought by him therein by petition, Bill, resolution, motion or otherwise.
Freedom from arrest.
5.
No member shall be liable to arrest-
(a) for any civil debt (except a debt the contraction of which constitutes a criminal offence) whilst going to, attending at or returning from a sitting of the Council or a committee;
(b) for any criminal offence whilst attending at a sitting of the Council or a
committee.
PART III
EVIDENCE
9. (1) The Council or a standing committee thereof may, subject to sections 13 and 14, order any person to attend before the Council or before such committee and to give evidence or to produce any paper, book, record or document in the possession or under the control of such person.
(2) The powers conferred by subsection (1) on a standing committee may be exercised by any other committee which is specially authorized by a resolution of the Council to exercise such powers in respect of any matter or question specified in the resolution.
Power to order attendance of
witnesses.
10. (1) Where any person is lawfully ordered to attend to give evidence or to Attendance to be produce documents before the Council or a committec, he shall be notified by a summons issued under the hand of the Clerk by direction of the President.
notified by
summons.
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