Annex B
S/N
Item
1.
2.
3.
Public Meetings
in the open
Public Meetings in private premises
Meetings in Designated Public Areas (DPAS)
Summary of the Existing Provisions and the Proposed Changes
to Part III of the Public Order Ordinance, Cap.245
Present Law
A meeting of more than 30 persons has to be notified to the Commissioner of Police (Section 7(2)(a) )
A meeting of more than 200 persons, or exceeding the capacity of the premises, has to be notified to the
СР.
(Section 7(2)(b))
Three venues on Hong Kong Island have been designated as DPAS by the Governor, with another 3 in Kowloon and 13 in the New Territories.
(Section 10 and the
Public Order (Designated
Public Areas) (Consolidation Order).
Proposed Changes
The 30-person threshold raised to 50 persons.
Meetings of a size up to the specified capacity of the premises, or up to 500 persons if the capacity is not specified, need not be notified to the CP.
DPA network to be extended to provide for readily accessible designated venues throughout the Territory.
4.
Public Processions
Processions of more than 20 persons have to be licenced. (Sections 13(1)(a) and 13(2)(b))
5.
processions; prohibition and time limit
Notification of meetings/
(a)
CP can prohibit a notified meeting within 4 days (excluding Sundays and general holidays) after notifi- cation of meeting; or up to 24 hrs before a meeting for which less than 7 days' notice is accepted.
(a)
A notification system to replace the licensing system; processions of less than 30 persons need not be notified.
Both public meetings and public processions will be subject to a unified notification system under which notice has to be submitted to the Police on the same day of the week in the preceding week as the day of the event itself.