### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

26J. Certificates as proof
(1) A certificate purporting to be issued by the Tribunal under this Ordinance and purporting to be signed by a member of the Tribunal shall until the contrary is proved be deemed to be issued by the Tribunal and shall be evidence of the matters set out in the certificate. 
(2) A certificate purporting to be issued by the Secretariat under this Ordinance and purporting to be signed by the secretary of the Secretariat shall until the contrary is proved be deemed to be issued by the Secretariat and shall be evidence of the matters set out in the certificate. (Added 12 of 1991 s. 7) 
(Added 58 of 1988 s. 3)

26K. Records
(1) The Tribunal or where sections 26A and 26B are not in operation, the Secretariat shall cause an application and relevant records (including the applicant’s finger-prints and records of its proceedings) relating to the application to be destroyed if the Tribunal determines that the application and the proceedings fail to disclose membership of a triad society or an offence under section 19, 20, 21, 22 or 23. (Amended 12 of 1991 s. 8) 
(2) The Tribunal or where sections 26A and 26B are not in operation, the Secretariat shall keep a record of an application and its proceedings and determination on the application where— (Amended 12 of 1991 s. 8) 
(a) the applicant renounces membership of a triad society; or 
(b) it has recorded that the applicant has disclosed an offence under section 19, 20, 21, 22 or 23. 
(Added 58 of 1988 s. 3)

26L. Proceedings and records to be confidential
(1) A member of the Tribunal or the Secretariat or any person employed to assist the Tribunal or the Secretariat shall not disclose any information concerning any person which is given to the Tribunal or otherwise comes to knowledge in employment or in carrying out duties under this Ordinance. (Amended 12 of 1991 s. 9) 
(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 2 and to imprisonment for 6 months. (Amended E.R. 3 of 2021)
(3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the disclosure of information required to be disclosed under this Ordinance or for instituting and prosecuting criminal proceedings under section 26M. 
(Added 58 of 1988 s. 3)

### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

26M. Offences relating to renunciation applications
(1) Any person who—
(a) in an application made under section 26D(1); or 
(b) in an examination by the Tribunal, 
makes a statement which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true, or recklessly makes a false statement is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine at level 5 and to imprisonment for 2 years. 
(2) Any person who, in proceedings before the Tribunal, impersonates another person is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine at level 5 and to imprisonment for 2 years. 
(3) If a person is convicted of an offence under subsection (1) or (2)—
(a) any renunciation is void; and 
(b) any proceedings stayed by the issue of a certificate by the Tribunal or the Secretariat may continue. (Amended 12 of 1991 s. 10) 
(4) If no further step is taken in proceedings stayed by a certificate issued by the Tribunal or the Secretariat for a period of 5 years, these proceedings shall cease with neither a conviction nor acquittal being recorded. (Amended 12 of 1991 s. 10) 
(Added 58 of 1988 s. 3. Amended E.R. 3 of 2021)

26N. Suspension and revival of sections 26A, 26B and 26C
(1) Subject to subsection (2), the Chief Executive in Council may by order declare that section 26C— (Amended 13 of 1999 s. 3)
(a) shall cease to be in operation;
(b) shall be in operation again.
(2) Where an order is made under subsection (1)(a), section 26C shall cease to be in operation until an order is made under subsection (1)(b), and where an order is made under subsection (1)(b), section 26C shall be in operation until an order is made under subsection (1)(a).
(3) While section 26C is not in operation, the Chief Executive may, if all applications made under section 26C while it was in operation have been determined or withdrawn, by order declare that sections 26A and 26B shall, subject to subsection (4), cease to be in operation. (Amended 13 of 1999 s. 3)
(4) If an order is made under subsection (3), sections 26A and 26B shall cease to be in operation until section 26C shall be in operation again.
(Added 12 of 1991 s. 11)

### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

27. Presumptions
In any proceedings under this Ordinance—
(a) (Repealed 75 of 1992 s. 18) (b) it shall not be necessary for the prosecution to prove that a society or a branch possesses a name, or that it has been constituted or is usually known under a particular name. (Amended 118 of 1997 s. 14; E.R. 4 of 2018) 
(c) (Repealed 75 of 1992 s. 18)

28. Presumption of existence of triad society, etc.
(1) Where any books, accounts, writings, lists of members, seals, banners or insignia of or relating to or purporting to relate to any triad society are found, such society shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, to be in existence at the time such books, accounts, writings, lists of members, seals, banners or insignia are so found. 
(2) Where any books, accounts, writings, lists of members, seals, banners or insignia of or relating to any unlawful society are found in the possession of any person, it shall be presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that such person assists in the management of such society. 
(3) Where it appears to a magistrate that there is reasonable cause to suspect that any place or premises entered or searched under any power conferred by or under this Ordinance were, immediately before or at the time of such entry, being used for the purpose of a meeting of a triad society, any person found in such place or premises at any time during such search or found leaving therefrom immediately before or at the time of such entry shall, unless he gives a satisfactory account of the reasons for his presence in the said place or premises, be presumed to have been attending the meeting of the triad society. 
(Replaced 75 of 1992 s. 19)