### District Councils Ordinance 《區議會條例》

72D. Secretary may impose sanctions etc.
(1) The Secretary may, after considering the report of a supervisory committee on a member under section 72C, issue a letter of persuasion to, or impose any of the following sanctions on, the member as the Secretary considers appropriate—
(a) warning;
(b) financial penalty;
(c) suspension of the member’s functions and duties as a member.
(2) The amount of financial penalty imposed under subsection (1)(b) is to be—
(a) determined by the Secretary; and
(b) deducted from the member’s remuneration to which the member is entitled.
(3) If a person’s functions and duties as a member are suspended under subsection (1)(c), during the period of suspension, the person—
(a) must not act as a member;
(b) must not do anything for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Ordinance or any other enactment conferring functions on a District Council;
(c) must not enjoy any corresponding entitlement; and
(d) is not to be regarded as a member for the purposes of section 86.
(4) Despite subsection (3)(c), the person is entitled to be reimbursed the operating expenses incurred by the person during the period of suspension.
(5) If a person’s functions and duties as a member are suspended under subsection (1)(c) and the person is absent from a meeting of a District Council during the suspension, the person is not to be regarded as being absent from that meeting for the purposes of section 26A(5).
(6) The Secretary must, as soon as practicable after imposing a sanction on a member under subsection (1), inform the member in writing.
(7) If a person acts, or claims to be entitled to act, as a member while his or her functions and duties as a member are suspended under subsection (1)(c), the Secretary for Justice may apply to the Court for an interim injunction restraining the person from so acting or claiming.

72E. Appeal against sanctions
(1) A member who is aggrieved by a decision of the Secretary under section 72D may appeal to the Chief Secretary for Administration.
(2) The appeal must be made within 14 days after the date of the decision.
(3) The appeal does not suspend the decision unless the Chief Secretary for Administration decides otherwise.
(4) On an appeal under subsection (1) against a decision, the Chief Secretary for Administration may confirm, vary or reverse the decision.
(5) The Chief Secretary for Administration must issue a notice of decision made under subsection (3) or (4) to the member who made the appeal.

### District Councils Ordinance 《區議會條例》

73. Functions and duties of Electoral Registration Officer and assistants
(1) The Electoral Registration Officer has such functions and duties as are conferred or imposed on that Officer by or under this Ordinance.
(2) An Assistant Electoral Registration Officer may, with the authority of the Electoral Registration Officer, exercise and perform the functions and duties of the Electoral Registration Officer.
(3) The executive authorities of the Government must ensure that the Electoral Registration Officer is provided with such staff as that Officer requires in order to exercise and perform that Officer’s functions and duties under this Ordinance.
(4) Expenses properly incurred by the Electoral Registration Officer in the exercise or performance of that Officer’s functions or duties under this Ordinance or the Electoral Affairs Commission Ordinance (Cap. 541) are a charge on, and are payable from, the general revenue.

74. Designated Officer and Electoral Registration Officer may specify forms
(1) The Designated Officer may specify the form of any registration, notice or other document required for the purposes of Part IV.
(2) The Electoral Registration Officer may specify the form of any application, notice, return, record or other document required for the purposes of Part V.
(Replaced 19 of 2023 s. 67)

75. Appointment of Returning Officers and assistants
(1) The Electoral Affairs Commission must appoint for each constituency a Returning Officer and such number of Assistant Returning Officers as appears to the Commission to be necessary to enable an election to be held in the constituency.
(2) A Returning Officer has such functions and duties as are conferred or imposed on that Officer by or under this Ordinance.
(3) An Assistant Returning Officer may, with the authority of the Returning Officer concerned, exercise and perform the functions and duties of Returning Officer.
(4) The Electoral Affairs Commission must publish in the Gazette a notice of the appointment of a Returning Officer and that Officer’s address.
(5) The executive authorities of the Government must ensure that each Returning Officer is provided with such staff as that Officer requires in order to exercise and perform that Officer’s functions and duties under this Ordinance.
(6) Expenses properly incurred by a Returning Officer in the exercise or performance of that Officer’s functions or duties under this Ordinance or the Electoral Affairs Commission Ordinance (Cap. 541) are a charge on, and are payable from, the general revenue.

76. Offence to obstruct or hinder electoral officer or Eligibility Review Committee
(Amended 19 of 2023 s. 69)A person who, without reasonable excuse, obstructs or hinders, or interferes with, an electoral officer or the Eligibility Review Committee in the exercise of a function conferred, or the performance of a duty imposed, by or under this Ordinance commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 5.
(Amended 19 of 2023 s. 69)

### District Councils Ordinance 《區議會條例》

77. Chief Executive may give directions as to exercise or performance of electoral officers’ functions and duties
(1) The Chief Executive may give directions, either generally or in any particular case, with respect to the exercise or performance by an electoral officer of any of the officer’s functions or duties under this Ordinance with respect to the holding or conduct of an election. The directions have no effect to the extent that they are inconsistent with this Ordinance or the Electoral Affairs Commission Ordinance (Cap. 541).
(2) An electoral officer must, when exercising or performing a function or duty under this Ordinance, comply with any direction given by the Chief Executive under this section with respect to the exercise or performance of the function or duty.

78. Death or incapacity of electoral officer not to terminate authority
Death or incapacity of an electoral officer does not terminate any authority conferred by the officer for the purposes of this Ordinance.