TNAG-2177-FCO40-3114-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-1990 — Page 97

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.