### Court Proceedings (Electronic Technology) Ordinance 《法院程序(電子科技)條例》

21. Electronic production of documents
(1) This section applies in relation to a provision of written law or a direction of a court that—
(a) requires a document to be conveyed by producing it as a paper document; or
(b) permits a document to be conveyed by producing it as a paper document.
(2) In relation to an e-proceeding—
(a) for subsection (1)(a)—the requirement is met if—
(i) a copy of the document is sent to an e-Court in electronic form by means of an e-system in accordance with any applicable e-rules and e-practice directions; and
(ii) at the relevant time it was reasonable to expect that the information in the copy in electronic form would be accessible so as to be usable for subsequent reference; and
(b) for subsection (1)(b)—a copy of the document may be sent to an e-Court in electronic form if—
(i) it is sent by means of an e-system in accordance with any applicable e-rules and e-practice directions; and
(ii) at the relevant time it was reasonable to expect that the information in the copy in electronic form would be accessible so as to be usable for subsequent reference.

22. Use of printouts of documents issued or sent by courts in electronic form
(1) This section applies if—
(a) a provision of written law or a direction of a court requires or permits a document issued or sent by a court to be in writing; and
(b) an e-Court, in reliance on this Part, issues or sends the document in electronic form by means of an e-system (electronic version

23. Keeping or maintaining records etc.
(1) This section applies in relation to a provision of written law or a direction of a court that—
(a) requires—
(i) a document, file or record kept or maintained by a court to be in writing; or
(ii) a record made by a court to be in writing; or
(b) permits—
(i) a document, file or record kept or maintained by a court to be in writing; or
(ii) a record made by a court to be in writing.
(2) In relation to an e-Court—
(a) for subsection (1)(a)—the requirement is met if the document, file or record is kept or maintained, or the record is made, in electronic form; and
(b) for subsection (1)(b)—the document, file or record may be kept or maintained, or the record may be made, in electronic form.

### Court Proceedings (Electronic Technology) Ordinance 《法院程序(電子科技)條例》

24. Court may disallow use of e-system for sending documents
(1) In an e-proceeding, the court may—
(a) give a direction disallowing the use of an e-system by a person for sending any document to the court (except for documents already sent), in relation to—
(i) the whole proceeding; or
(ii) a particular procedure; and
(b) give any other direction that the court considers necessary because of a direction under paragraph (a).
(2) In exercising a power under subsection (1), the court may have regard to—
(a) the nature of the proceeding or procedure;
(b) the conduct of a party; or
(c) any other factor that the court considers relevant.

25. Effect of things done electronically
(1) If, in reliance on Part 5, an act is done in electronic form or electronically, when it would otherwise be required or permitted to have been done using or with respect to a paper document, the doing of that act in electronic form or electronically has the same effect as if that act had been done using or with respect to a paper document.
(2) If, in reliance on Part 5, something takes an electronic form, when it would otherwise be required or permitted to be in the form of a paper document, that thing has the same effect as if it were a paper document.
(3) A document that is authenticated in accordance with section 17 has the same effect as a document duly signed, sealed or certified.
(4) A document that is authenticated in accordance with section 18 or 19 has the same effect as a document duly signed.

### Court Proceedings (Electronic Technology) Ordinance 《法院程序(電子科技)條例》

26. Rules for use of electronic technology
(1) The Chief Justice may make rules—
(a) to regulate or prescribe the practice and procedure to be followed in the use of electronic technology under Part 5; and
(b) without limiting paragraph (a), for the particular matters set out in this section.
(2) Rules made under this section may, in relation to an e-system—
(a) authorize its use by or in relation to an e-Court;
(b) authorize its use for a type or description of proceeding that—
(i) is within the jurisdiction of an e-Court; and
(ii) is specified in the rules;
(c) specify purposes other than those set out in section 8 for which it may be used;
(d) specify the class or description of persons who may use it; and
(e) provide for registration as a user or any other arrangement to use it for certain purposes relating to a proceeding.
(3) Rules made under this section may also—
(a) specify a type or description of proceeding, or matters of a confidential nature, in relation to which electronic technology may not be used for a purpose under Part 5;
(b) specify a type or description of document that is required to be in the form of a paper document, whether or not it is used in electronic form in a proceeding;
(c) provide for the conversion of documents in electronic form into paper documents or paper documents into electronic form for any purpose relating to a proceeding;
(d) provide for anything that by this Ordinance is required to or may be done in accordance with the rules;
(e) provide for any matter relating to the carrying out of an act by an e-Court under Part 5;
(f) provide for any matter relating to electronic payments;
(g) provide for transitional matters relating to an authorization under subsection (2)(a) or (b); and
(h) contain incidental or supplemental provisions for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Ordinance.

27. Additional rules for use of electronic technology
(1) A power to make rules of court under an Ordinance to provide for the practice and procedure of a court includes, in relation to an e-Court, a power to make rules—
(a) to provide for the use of electronic technology in proceedings governed by those rules (Ordinance-specific rules