### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

13. Cessation of existence of a society
(1) If the Societies Officer has reason to believe that any society on the list kept under section 11 has ceased to exist, he may publish in the Gazette a notification calling upon such society to furnish him with proof of its existence within 3 months from the date of such notification. (Amended 75 of 1992 s. 6) 
(2) If at the expiration of such 3 months after such publication, the society has not furnished the Societies Officer with proof of its existence to the satisfaction of the Societies Officer, the Societies Officer may remove the society from the list kept under section 11. (Replaced 75 of 1992 s. 6) 
(3) If, under subsection (2), the name of a society has been removed from the list kept under section 11 and within 3 years after the date of such removal the Societies Officer finds that the society is still in operation, he may—
(a) serve a notice in writing on the society requiring it to explain in writing its failure to furnish proof of existence as required under subsection (2) and to furnish to the Societies Officer the most recent particulars of the society as required under section 5(1) or (2); and 
(b) restore the society to the list. (Added 75 of 1992 s. 6) 
(4) Where the name of a society has been restored to the list under subsection (3), the society shall be deemed not to have been removed under subsection (2). (Added 75 of 1992 s. 6) 
(5) If after the expiration of 3 years from the date of removal of a society under subsection (2), the society has not been restored under subsection (3) the society shall on such expiration be deemed to have ceased to exist. (Added 75 of 1992 s. 6)

14. Dissolution of a society
(1) If a registered society or an exempted society has subsequently dissolved itself, the persons who were the office-bearers of the society before such dissolution shall, not later than the expiration of 1 month after the dissolution takes effect, notify the Societies Officer of such dissolution in writing signed by one or more of the persons who were the office-bearers of the society immediately before the dissolution. 
(2) On receipt of any such notification, the Societies Officer shall as soon as practicable after the date when the dissolution takes effect, de-register the society and its branches and remove the society and the branches from the list kept under section 11. 
(Replaced 75 of 1992 s. 7. Amended 118 of 1997 s. 9)

### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

14A. Removing a society from the list
(1) (Repealed 118 of 1997 s. 10)(2) Where a registered society or an exempted society has subsequently become a person listed in the Schedule, the Societies Officer may, upon application in writing by the society, remove the society from the list kept under section 11. 
(3) Where an order prohibiting the operation or continued operation of a society or a branch has been published in the Gazette under section 8(2), the Societies Officer shall, as soon as practicable after the order comes into effect, remove the society or the branch from the list kept under section 11 but where subsequently, the order is revoked pursuant to an appeal under section 8(7), the Societies Officer shall as soon as practicable restore the society or the branch to the list.
(Added 75 of 1992 s. 7. Amended 118 of 1997 s. 10)

15. Information to be furnished by societies
(1) The Societies Officer may, at any time, by notice in writing served on any society require the society to furnish him in writing with such information as he may reasonably require for the performance of his functions under this Ordinance. (Replaced 75 of 1992 s. 8) 
(1A) The information required under subsection (1) may include the income, the source of the income and the expenditure of the society or its branch. (Added 118 of 1997 s. 11)
(2) A notice served under subsection (1) shall specify the time within which (being not less than 7 days) the information shall be supplied: 
Provided that the Societies Officer may, on application made to him and on good cause being shown, grant an extension of time at his discretion. (Amended 75 of 1992 s. 8)
(Amended 36 of 1982 s. 8; 30 of 1988 s. 4)

### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

16. Persons responsible for supplying information
(1)  The obligations imposed upon societies by section 15 shall be binding upon every office-bearer and upon every person managing or assisting in the management of any such society in Hong Kong: (Amended 30 of 1988 s. 4) 
Provided that any such office-bearer or other person as aforesaid shall not be so bound unless he has been served with the notice under the relevant section. 
(2) If any society fails to comply with the whole or part of any notice served under section 15, each of the persons mentioned in subsection (1) who has been served as aforementioned shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 4 unless he establishes to the satisfaction of the court that he has exercised due diligence and has failed to comply with the notice for reasons beyond his control. 
(3) If any information supplied to the Societies Officer in compliance with a notice served under section 15 is false, incorrect, or incomplete in any material particular, the person who has supplied such information shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 4 unless he establishes to the satisfaction of the court that he had good reason to believe that the information was true, correct and complete. 
(Amended 36 of 1982 s. 9; 75 of 1992 s. 9; E.R. 3 of 2021)

18. Unlawful societies
(1) For the purposes of this Ordinance, unlawful society (非法社團) means—
(a) a triad society, whether or not such society is a registered society or an exempted society and whether or not such society is a local society; or
(b) a society in respect of which, or in respect of whose branch, an order made under section 8 is in force. (Replaced 75 of 1992 s. 11. Amended 118 of 1997 s. 12) 

(2) (Repealed 75 of 1992 s. 11) (3) Every society which uses any triad ritual or which adopts or makes use of any triad title or nomenclature shall be deemed to be a triad society. (Amended 36 of 1964 s. 2) 
(Replaced 28 of 1961 s. 6) 

### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

19. Penalties on office-bearer, etc. of an unlawful society
(1) Save as is provided in subsection (2), any office-bearer or any person professing or claiming to be an office-bearer and any person managing or assisting in the management of any unlawful society shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to a fine at level 6 and to imprisonment for 3 years. (Amended E.R. 3 of 2021)
(2) Any office-bearer or any person professing or claiming to be an office-bearer and any person managing or assisting in the management of any triad society shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for 15 years. 
(Replaced 75 of 1992 s. 12)