# Official Languages Ordinance 1974

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Date of Commencement: 15 February 1974 (s. 20(2)(a) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1)) Adaptation of law: See L.N. 362 of 1997, 25 of 1998 and 26 of 1999 for changes after the handover of Hong Kong
* A verified copy of this enactment exists on Hong Kong e-Legislation since 15 February 2017.
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HONG KONG
No. 10 of 1974
* L.S.
I assent. Murray MacLehose, Governor. 14th February, 1974.
An Ordinance to provide for the official languages of Hong Kong, and for their status and use.
[15th February, 1974]
Enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof.
Short title. 1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Official Languages Ordinance 1974.
Interpretation. 2. In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires—
“court” means any court, and also means any board, tribunal or person having by law the power to hear, receive and examine evidence on oath.
Official languages and their status and use. 3. (1) The English and Chinese languages are declared to be the official languages of Hong Kong for the purposes of communication between the Government or any public officer and members of the public.
(2) The official languages possess equal status and, subject to the provisions of this Ordinance, enjoy equality of use for the purposes set out in subsection (1).
Legislation. 4. (1) Every Ordinance shall be enacted and published in the English language.
(2) Nothing in subsection (1) shall be construed as restricting—
    (a) the use of Chinese words or terms in any Ordinance; or
    (b) the publication of a translation of any Ordinance into the Chinese language.
Judicial proceedings. Schedule. 5. (1) The proceedings in any court specified in the Schedule may be conducted in either the English language or the Chinese language as the court thinks fit.
​(2) Proceedings in—
    (a) the Full Court;
    (b) the Supreme Court;
    (c) the District Court; and
    (d) any other court not specified in the Schedule,
shall be conducted in the English language.
(3) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), any party to or witness in proceedings in any court may use either the English language or the Chinese language, or such other language court may permit.
Amendment of Schedule. 6. The Governor in Council may, by order published in the Gazette, amend the Schedule.
Consequential amendment. (Cap. 25.) 7. Section 19 of the Labour Tribunal Ordinance is amended by the deletion of subsection (1).
Courts in which Proceedings may be Conducted in either the English Language or the Chinese Language
* Magistrates’ Courts.
* Any inquiry by a coroner.
* Any Juvenile Court.
* Any Labour Tribunal.
* Any Tenancy Tribunal.
Passed by the Hong Kong Legislative Council this 13th day of February, 1974.
K. H. Wheeler, Clerk to the Legislative Council.
This printed impression has been carefully compared by me with the bill, and is found by me to be a true and correctly printed copy of the said bill.
K. H. Wheeler, Clerk to the Legislative Council.
This work is a Hong Kong ordinance, which is copyrighted in Hong Kong for 50 years after publication pursuant to section 183(2) and paragraph 36 of Schedule 2 of the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528). However, as an edict of a government, it is in the public domain in the U.S.
According to Section 3 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1), the term "ordinance" also includes any subsidiary legislation made under any ordinances of Hong Kong that does not contravene with the Hong Kong Basic Law.
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