### Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance 《釋義及通則條例》

2A. Laws previously in force
(1) All laws previously in force shall be construed with such modifications, adaptations, limitations and exceptions as may be necessary so as not to contravene the Basic Law and to bring them into conformity with the status of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), in any Ordinance—
(a) provisions relating to foreign affairs in respect of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which are inconsistent with any national law applied in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be construed subject to that national law and shall be so construed as to be consistent with the international rights and obligations of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China;
(b) provisions conferring privileges on the United Kingdom or other Commonwealth countries or territories, other than provisions giving effect to reciprocal arrangements between Hong Kong and the United Kingdom or other Commonwealth countries or territories shall have no further effect;
(c) provisions relating to the rights, exemptions and obligations of military forces stationed in Hong Kong by the United Kingdom shall, subject to the provisions of the Basic Law and the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Garrisoning of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Schedule 2 to the Promulgation of National Laws (No. 2) 1997 (L.N. 386 of 1997), continue to have effect and apply to the military forces stationed in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China; (Amended 2 of 2012 s. 4)
(d) provisions relating to the superior legal status of the English language as compared with the Chinese language shall be construed as providing that both the English and Chinese languages are to be official languages; and
(e) provisions applying any English law may continue to be applicable by reference thereto as a transitional arrangement pending their amendment by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through the Legislature thereof, provided that they are not prejudicial to the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China and do not contravene the provisions of the Basic Law.
(3) In all laws previously in force words and expressions listed in Schedule 8 shall be construed according to that Schedule.
(4) In this section—
laws previously in force (原有法律) means the common law, rules of equity, Ordinances, subsidiary legislation and customary law in force immediately before 1 July 1997 and adopted as laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
(Added 110 of 1997 s. 5. Amended 26 of 1998 s. 3)

### Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance 《釋義及通則條例》

3A. References to former or retired judge
A reference to a person who is a former or retired judge of a court, or of a specified court, in Hong Kong, includes respectively a reference to a person who is a former or retired judge of a court which was constituted under the laws of Hong Kong before 1 July 1997, or of the court in Hong Kong which before 1 July 1997 exercised jurisdiction similar to that of the specified court.
(Added 32 of 2000 s. 15)

4. (Repealed 26 of 1998 s. 5)(Adaptation amendments retroactively made - see 26 of 1998 s. 5)

5. Grammatical variations and cognate expressions
Where any word or expression is defined in any Ordinance, such definition shall extend to the grammatical variations and cognate expressions of such word or expression.

6. References to Government property
(1) Where reference is made in any Ordinance to property and the expressions used in relation thereto imply that the property is owned by, belongs to, or reverts to, the Government, or convey a similar meaning, the reference shall be construed in accordance with Article 7 of the Basic Law.
(2) In this section, property (財產) means any of the land and natural resources within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
(Replaced 26 of 1998 s. 6)

7. Provisions for gender and number
(1) Words and expressions importing the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter genders. (Amended 89 of 1993 s. 4)
(2) Words and expressions in the singular include the plural and words and expressions in the plural include the singular.

8. Service by post
Where any Ordinance authorizes or requires any documents to be served or any notice to be given by post or by registered post, whether the expression “serve” or “give” or “send” or any other expression is used, the service or notice shall be deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying the postage thereon and dispatching it by post or by registered post, as the case may be, to the last known postal address of the person to be served or given notice, and, unless the contrary is proved, such service or notice shall be deemed to have been effected at the time at which the document or notice would be delivered in the ordinary course of post.
(Amended 36 of 1972 s. 2)

### Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance 《釋義及通則條例》

9. Chinese and English words and expressions
Chinese words and expressions in the English text of an Ordinance shall be construed according to Chinese language and custom and English words and expressions in the Chinese text of an Ordinance shall be construed according to English language and custom.
(Replaced 18 of 1987 s. 3. Amended 26 of 1998 s. 7)

10. (Repealed 26 of 1998 s. 8)(Adaptation amendments retroactively made - see 26 of 1998 s. 8)

10A. Application of Part IIA
This Part shall apply to an Ordinance—
(a) enacted in both official languages; or
(b) in respect of which an authentic text is published under section 4B of the Official Languages Ordinance (Cap. 5).

10B. Construction of Ordinances in both official languages
(1) The English language text and the Chinese language text of an Ordinance shall be equally authentic, and the Ordinance shall be construed accordingly.
(2) The provisions of an Ordinance are presumed to have the same meaning in each authentic text.
(3) Where a comparison of the authentic texts of an Ordinance discloses a difference of meaning which the rules of statutory interpretation ordinarily applicable do not resolve, the meaning which best reconciles the texts, having regard to the object and purposes of the Ordinance, shall be adopted. (Amended L.N.46 of 1991)

10C. Expressions of common law
(1) Where an expression of the common law is used in the English language text of an Ordinance and an analogous expression is used in the Chinese language text thereof, the Ordinance shall be construed in accordance with the common law meaning of that expression. (Amended L.N. 336 of 1990)
(2) (Repealed 26 of 1998 s. 9)

10D. Name of statutory body corporate
Where an Ordinance establishes a body corporate and in the English language text and Chinese language text of that Ordinance the name of the body corporate is in the form only of the language of that text, the name of the body corporate shall consist of the form of its name in each of the texts of the Ordinance.
(Amended L.N. 336 of 1990)