### New Territories (Renewable Government Leases) Ordinance 《新界(可續期政府租契)條例》

1. Short title
This Ordinance may be cited as the New Territories (Renewable Government Leases) Ordinance.
(Amended 29 of 1998 s. 47)

2. Interpretation
In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires—
existing Government lease (現行政府租契) means such a Government lease as is referred to in section 3; (Replaced 29 of 1998 s. 48)
lot (地段) means any piece or parcel of ground demised under a Government lease; (Amended 29 of 1998 s. 48)
new Government lease (新政府租契) means such a Government lease as is deemed to be granted under section 4; (Replaced 29 of 1998 s. 48)
section (分段) means any portion of a lot which has been—
(a) assigned or alienated for the whole of the term created by the existing Government lease of the lot; or (Amended 29 of 1998 s. 48)
(b) declared to have been divided or severed from the remainder of the lot,
by or under an instrument which is registered in the Land Registry and also means any portion of a lot retained following such assignment or alienation. (Amended 8 of 1993 s. 2; 20 of 2002 s. 5)

3. Application
This Ordinance applies to every Government lease existing immediately before the expiration of the 30th day of June 1973 under which land in the New Territories is demised for a term of seventy-five years from the 1st day of July 1898 and which contains a right of renewal for a further term of twenty-four years less three days, other than leases of land exempted from Part II of the New Territories Ordinance (Cap. 97) under subsection (2) or (3) of section 7 thereof.
(Amended 29 of 1998 s. 105)

### New Territories (Renewable Government Leases) Ordinance 《新界(可續期政府租契)條例》

5. Saving of Government rights
(1) Nothing in this Ordinance shall be construed as a waiver by the Government of any of its rights in respect of any breach of covenant in any existing Government lease.
(2) Any breach of covenant existing immediately before the 1st day of July 1973 in respect of an existing Government lease shall be deemed to be a breach of covenant in respect of the new Government lease and the Government may exercise its rights (including the right of re-entry) in relation to the new Government lease in the same manner and to the same extent as they could have been exercised or enforced before the said date in relation to the existing Government lease.
(Amended 29 of 1998 s. 105)

### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

1. Short title
This Ordinance may be cited as the Societies Ordinance.

### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

3. Appointment of Societies Officer
The Chief Executive may appoint by name or office an officer to be the Societies Officer for Hong Kong, and officers to be styled Assistant Societies Officers. 
(Replaced 75 of 1992 s. 4. Amended 13 of 1999 s. 3)

4. Societies deemed to be established in Hong Kong
A society shall be deemed to be established in Hong Kong, although it is organized and has its headquarters or chief place of business outside Hong Kong, if any of its office-bearers or members resides in Hong Kong or is present therein, or if any persons in Hong Kong manages or assists in the management of such society or solicits or collects money or subscription in its behalf: 
Provided that no society shall be deemed to be so established, if and so long as—
(a) it is organized and is operating wholly outside Hong Kong; and 
(b) no office, place of business or place of meeting is maintained or used in Hong Kong by such society or by any person in its behalf; and 
(c) no register of members of such society is kept in Hong Kong; and 
(d) no subscriptions are collected or solicited in Hong Kong by the society or by any person in its behalf. 
(Amended 30 of 1988 s. 4)

5. Application for registration or exemption from registration
(1) A local society shall apply in the specified form to the Societies Officer for registration or exemption from registration within 1 month of its establishment or deemed establishment under section 2(2B) or 4. The application must be signed by 3 office-bearers and include details of—
(a) the name of the society;
(b) the objects of the society;
(c) the particulars of the office-bearers of the society; and
(d) the address of the principal place of business of the society and of every place or premises owned or occupied by the society.
(2) A local society shall apply in the specified form to the Societies Officer for registration or exemption from registration of a branch of the society within 1 month of the branch’s establishment or deemed establishment under section 2(2B) or 4. The application must be signed by 3 office-bearers of the society and include details of—
(a) the name of the society;
(b) the name, if any, of the branch and its objects, if they are different from the objects of the society;
(c) the particulars of the office-bearers of the branch; and
(d) the address of the principal place of business of the branch.
(Replaced 118 of 1997 s. 4)

### Societies Ordinance 《社團條例》

5A. Registration and exemption from registration
(1) Subject to subsection (3), the Societies Officer may register a society or a branch.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), the Societies Officer may exempt a society or a branch from registration if he is satisfied that the society or the branch is established solely for religious, charitable, social or recreational purposes or as a rural committee or a federation or other association of rural committees. If the Societies Officer exempts a society or a branch from registration, he may issue a certificate of exemption from registration in the specified form.
(3) The Societies Officer may, after consultation with the Secretary for Security, refuse to register or to exempt from registration a society or a branch—
(a) if he reasonably believes that the refusal is necessary in the interests of national security or public safety, public order or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others; or (Amended 10 of 2008 s. 4)
(b) if the society or the branch is a political body that has a connection with a political organization of an external place. (Amended 6 of 2024 s. 135)
(4) The Societies Officer shall not refuse an application for registration or exemption from registration without first giving the society an opportunity to be heard or to make written representations as the society thinks fit as to why the application should not be refused unless the Societies Officer reasonably believes that in the circumstances of the case it would not be practicable to give the society the opportunity to be heard or to make representations.
(5) The Societies Officer shall give to a society written reasons for his refusal to register or to exempt from registration the society or the branch within 14 days of the decision.
(6) A society or a branch may operate and continue to operate until the society is notified that the Societies Officer has refused its application for registration or exemption from registration.

(Added 118 of 1997 s. 4)

5B. Appeal against refusal to register or to exempt, etc.
The society, the branch, an office-bearer or a member of the society or the branch who is aggrieved by the decision of the Societies Officer to refuse registration or exemption from registration may appeal to the Chief Executive in Council within 30 days of the date when notice of the decision was given to the society. The Chief Executive in Council may confirm, vary or reverse the decision. The operation of the decision appealed against is suspended until the Chief Executive in Council has heard and determined the appeal.
(Added 118 of 1997 s. 4)