TNAG-0291-FCO40-327-Constitutional-development-of-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 26

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Assent to Bills.

Disallow-

the declaration revoked shall cease to have effect; and the provisions of section 38 (2) of the Interpretation 'Act 1889(a) shall apply to such revocation as they apply to the repeal of an Act of Parliament.

(1) A Bill shall not become a law until

(a) the High Commissioner has assented to it in Her Majesty's name and on Her Majesty's behalf and has signed it in token of his assent; or

(b) Her Majesty has given Her assent to it through a Secretary of State and the High Commissioner has signified Her assent by proclamation published in the Gazette.

(2) When a Bill is presented to the High Commissioner for his assent, he shall, in his discretion, but subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any Instructions given under Her Majesty's Sign Manual and Signet or through a Secretary of State, déclare that he assents, or refuses to assent, to it, or that he reserves the Bill for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure:

Provided that the High Commissioner shall reserve for the signifi- cation of Her Majesty's pleasure--

(a) any Bill which appears to the High Commissioner, in his dis- cretion, to be in any way repugnant to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution; and

(b) any Bill which determines or regulate the privileges, immunitios

or powers of the Legislative Council or of its members; unless he has been authorised by a Secretary of State to assent to it.

(3) A law assented to by the High/Commissioner shall come into operation on the date of its publication in the Gazette without proju- dice, however, to any provisions of that law or any other law post- poning its operation or giving it rétrospective effect.

55.-(1) Any law assented to by the High Commissioner may be ance of laws. disallowed by Her Majesty through a Secretary of State.

Sessions.

Proroga- tion and dissolution.

(2) Whenever any law has been disallowed by Hor Majesty the High Commissioner shall cause notice of the disallowance to be published in the Gazette, and the law shall be annulled with effect from the date of publication of the notice,

(3) On the annulment of any law under this section any enactment repealed or amended by or in pursuance of that law shall have effect as from the date of the annulment as if that law had not been made; but save as provided in the foregoing provisions of this subsection the provisions of section 38 (2) of the Interpretation Act 1889 shall apply to such disallowance as they apply to the repeal of an Act of Parliament.

56. The sessions of the Legislative Council shall be held at such places and begin at such times as the High Commissioner from time to time by proclamation published in the Gazette shall appoint; but a period of twelve months shall not clapse between the date when the Legislative Council last sat in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session.

$7.-(1) The High Commissioner may at any time, by proclamation iblished in the Gazette, preregte or dissolve the Legislative Council. (a) 52 & 53 Vict. c. 63.

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