### District Councils Ordinance 《區議會條例》

68. Chairman may make standing orders
(Amended 19 of 2023 s. 61)(1) The Chairman of a District Council may make standing orders for regulating the procedure of the District Council and its committees. (Replaced 19 of 2023 s. 61)
(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the standing orders may make provision for—
(a) times and places of meetings of the District Council or of a committee; or
(b) the summoning, notices, keeping of minutes of proceedings of meetings; or
(c) the voting on matters put before a meeting; or
(d) the determination of any matter by circulation of papers; or
(e) the preservation of order at meetings.
(3) The standing orders of a District Council must provide for the quorum of its committees. (Replaced 19 of 2023 s. 61)

69. Chairman may appoint secretary
(Amended 19 of 2023 s. 62)(1) For the purpose of carrying out the functions of a District Council, the Chairman of the District Council may appoint a public officer to act as the secretary of that District Council.
(2) The Chairman of a District Council may determine the duties of the person appointed as secretary under subsection (1).
(Amended 19 of 2023 s. 62)

70. Quorum of a District Council
The quorum of a District Council is not less than half the members of the Council holding office for the time being.

71. Committees of a District Council
(Amended 19 of 2023 s. 63)(1) For the purpose of carrying out the functions of a District Council, the Chairman of the District Council must appoint committees in accordance with this section.
(2) The Chairman of a District Council may appoint to the committee any person who is not a member if the person satisfies the qualifications set out in section 20(1).
(3) The Chairman of a District Council is to appoint a member of the committee who is also a member of that Council, as the chairman of the committee.
(4) A member appointed under subsection (2) may vote at a meeting of the committee and is to be counted for the purpose of constituting a quorum.
(5) A District Council may delegate any of its functions to a committee.
(Amended 19 of 2023 s. 63)

71A. Chairman may require members to collect views
The Chairman of a District Council may require members of the District Council to collect the views of the people in the District concerned in respect of an issue specified by the Chairman.
(Added 19 of 2023 s. 64)

### District Councils Ordinance 《區議會條例》

72. Proceedings of a District Council or a committee not affected by vacancy or defect in membership etc.
(Amended 13 of 2021 s. 25)(1) The power of a District Council to transact business is not affected by—
(a) a vacancy in the membership of the District Council; or
(b) the suspension of a person’s functions and duties as a member under section 72D(1)(c) or 79(2A). (Replaced 13 of 2021 s. 25. Amended 19 of 2023 s. 65)
(2) The validity of proceedings of a District Council are not affected by—
(a) a vacancy in the membership of the District Council;
(ab) the suspension of a person’s functions and duties as a member under section 72D(1)(c) or 79(2A); (Added 13 of 2021 s. 25. Amended 19 of 2023 s. 65)
(b) a defect in the appointment, registration or election of a member; (Amended 3 of 2013 s. 10; 19 of 2023 s. 65)
(c) a defect as to the eligibility of a person to be a member.
(3) The validity of proceedings of a committee are not affected by a defect in the appointment of or eligibility of a person to be a member of the committee.
(4) For the purposes of this section, a vacancy in the membership of a District Council includes a vacancy in its membership when it first meets after an ordinary election. (Replaced 19 of 2023 s. 65)

72A. Interpretation: Part VIA
In this Part—
Secretary (局長) means the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs.

### District Councils Ordinance 《區議會條例》

72B. Secretary may issue guidelines
(1) The Secretary may issue guidelines for the purposes of this Part, and the matters that the guidelines may indicate include—
(a) the standard of performance required of a member;
(b) the conduct of a member that constitutes misconduct; and
(c) the procedures relating to the implementation of sections 72C, 72D and 72E.
(2) The Secretary must—
(a) publish the guidelines in a way appropriate to bring them to the notice of the members; and
(b) make copies of the guidelines available to the public.
(3) Guidelines issued under this section are not subsidiary legislation.
(4) The Secretary may amend or revoke any of the guidelines. Subsections (2) and (3) apply to an amendment or revocation of guidelines in the same way as they apply to the guidelines.
(5) A person does not incur any civil or criminal liability only because the person has contravened any of the guidelines.
(6) If, in any legal proceedings, the court is satisfied that a provision of the guidelines is relevant to the determination of a matter that is in issue in the proceedings—
(a) the guidelines are admissible in evidence in the proceedings; and
(b) proof that the person contravened, or did not contravene, the provision may be relied on by a party to the proceedings as tending to establish or negate the matter.

72C. Investigation on misconduct of members
(1) An investigation on an alleged misconduct of a member of a District Council may be initiated by—
(a) the Chairman and not less than 3 members of the District Council; or
(b) a motion passed by more than half of the members present in a meeting of the District Council.
(2) If an investigation is initiated under subsection (1), the Secretary must appoint a supervisory committee that consists of the following persons to conduct the investigation—
(a) 1 person who is not a member of any District Council; and
(b) 4 members of any District Council that is not the District Council mentioned in subsection (1).
(3) The supervisory committee is to conduct the investigation to—
(a) establish whether the facts on which the allegation is based are true;
(b) give its opinion on whether the established facts constitute grounds for imposing sanction under section 72D; and
(c) if there is ground for imposing sanction—give its opinion on the appropriate sanction to be imposed on the member concerned.
(4) The supervisory committee must submit a written report to the Secretary as soon as practicable after the completion of the investigation stating the established facts and its opinion mentioned in subsection (3).