### Legislation Publication Ordinance 《法例發布條例》

1. Short title and commencement
(1) This Ordinance may be cited as the Legislation Publication Ordinance.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), this Ordinance comes into operation on a day to be appointed by the Secretary for Justice by notice published in the Gazette.
(3) (Omitted as spent—E.R. 1 of 2012)

2. Interpretation
(1) In this Ordinance—
approved website (認可網站) means a website approved under section 3(b);
consolidated copy (編訂文本), in relation to an Ordinance, means a copy of the Ordinance showing its text as amended by all permitted amendments (if any) that have taken effect as at a date specified in the copy; (Amended 17 of 2018 s. 21)
database (資料庫) means the electronic database of the legislation applying in Hong Kong established under section 3(a);
database instrument (資料庫文書) means an Ordinance, the Basic Law, a national law applying in Hong Kong or an item of materials or information referred to in section 4(2)(b);
editorial amendment (編輯修訂) means an amendment to an Ordinance made under section 12;
gazetted copy (刊憲文本), in relation to an Ordinance, means a copy of the Ordinance as originally enacted or made, and published in the Gazette;
official verification mark (官方核證標記) means a symbol, word or statement, or a combination of any of them, specified by the Law Draftsman on an approved website for the purposes of Part 2;

permitted amendment (許可修訂), in relation to an Ordinance, means—
(a) an amendment to the Ordinance made by another Ordinance;
(b) an editorial amendment to the Ordinance; or
(c) an amendment to the Ordinance made under section 2A(1) of the Laws (Loose-leaf Publication) Ordinance 1990 (Cap. 643); (Amended E.R. 1 of 2022)

verified copy (經核證文本)—see section 5(1).
(2) In this Ordinance, a reference to a database instrument as at a date specified in a copy or reproduction of a copy of the instrument includes, if a time on that date is specified in the copy or reproduction, a reference to the instrument as at that time on that date.

3. Establishment of database
The Secretary for Justice may—
(a) establish and maintain an electronic database of the legislation applying in Hong Kong; and
(b) approve a website on which the information in the database may be published and accessed.

### Legislation Publication Ordinance 《法例發布條例》

4. Contents of database
(1) The database is to contain—
(a) consolidated copies of Ordinances that have been given chapter numbers under section 11(a) and of the following Ordinances— (Amended 17 of 2018 s. 22)

(i) the Revised Edition of the Laws Ordinance 1965 (53 of 1965);
(ii) the Laws (Loose-leaf Publication) Ordinance 1990 (51 of 1990);
(iii) the Hong Kong Reunification Ordinance (110 of 1997);
(iv) the National Flag and National Emblem Ordinance (116 of 1997);
(v) the Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance (117 of 1997); (Amended 17 of 2018 s. 22)
(vi) the National Anthem Ordinance (2 of 2020); (Added 2 of 2020 s. 14)
(vii) the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (6 of 2024); (Added 6 of 2024 s. 190)

(b) gazetted copies of Ordinances published in the Gazette on or after the date on which this Part comes into operation;
(c) the Basic Law;
(d) national laws applying in Hong Kong; and
(e) the record of editorial amendments compiled under section 15.
(2) The database may also contain—
(a) bills to be introduced or introduced into the Legislative Council; and
(b) other materials and information that the Secretary for Justice considers useful to users of an approved website.

5. Status of verified copies of database instruments
(1) A copy of a database instrument—
(a) that is published on or printed directly from an approved website; and
(b) that bears an official verification mark, 
is a verified copy of the instrument.
(2) A verified copy of a database instrument is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to correctly state the instrument as at the date specified in the copy.

6. Evidential provisions
(1) A website purporting to be an approved website is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to be an approved website.
(2) A document purporting to be a verified copy of a database instrument is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to be a verified copy of the instrument.

### Legislation Publication Ordinance 《法例發布條例》

7. Interpretation
In this Part—
official booklet (官方單行本) means a booklet published under section 8(1);
official storage medium (官方儲存器) means a storage medium published under section 9(1);

storage medium (儲存器) means a medium—
(a) in which electronic data relating to verified copies of database instruments are stored; and
(b) from which verified copies of database instruments are capable of being reproduced.

8. Publication of official booklets
(1) The Secretary for Justice may cause reproductions of verified copies of database instruments to be published in the form of booklets.
(2) A reproduction of a verified copy of a database instrument contained in an official booklet is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to correctly state the instrument as at the date specified in the reproduction.

9. Publication of official storage media
(1) The Secretary for Justice may cause storage media to be published.
(2) An electronic or printed reproduction of a verified copy of a database instrument accessed or printed directly from an official storage medium is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to correctly state the instrument as at the date specified in the reproduction.

10. Evidential provisions
(1) A document purporting to be a reproduction of a verified copy of a database instrument contained in an official booklet is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to be such a reproduction.
(2) A document purporting to be an electronic or printed reproduction of a verified copy of a database instrument accessed or printed directly from an official storage medium is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to be such a reproduction.

11. Powers to give chapter numbers etc.
The Secretary for Justice may—
(a) give a chapter number to an Ordinance; and (Amended 26 of 2012 s. 17; 17 of 2018 s. 23)
(b) in the database, arrange the grouping and sequence of database instruments.