### Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance 《商船(註冊)條例》

3. Application of Ordinance to certain structures, etc.
The Director may by notice published in the Gazette provide that a thing designed or adapted for use at sea and described in the notice is or is not to be treated as a ship for the purpose of any provision of this Ordinance specified in the notice, and any such notice may—
(a) make different provision in relation to different occasions; and
(b) if it provides that a thing is to be treated as a ship for the purpose of a provision specified in the notice, provide that the provision shall have effect in relation to the craft with such modifications as are so specified.

4. Registrar of Ships
(1) The Director shall in writing appoint one or more public officers to be Registrars of Ships.
(2) The Registrar shall have such powers, functions and duties as are conferred or imposed upon him by this Ordinance or any other law.
(3) Without prejudice to subsection (2), the Director shall have and may exercise the powers and functions of the Registrar referred to in that subsection.

5. Instructions
(1) The Director may issue to the Registrar and to other public officers such administrative instructions not inconsistent with this Ordinance as may appear to him to be necessary or expedient for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Ordinance.
(2) The Director shall publish such instructions in such manner as he sees fit.
(3) Where in this Ordinance there is a reference to a specified form or manner—(Amended E.R. 1 of 2022)
(a) that form or manner may be specified by the Director in instructions; and
(b) if the instructions so provide, deviations from the specified form or manner not affecting the substance thereof shall not invalidate that form or manner.
(4) The Registrar and any other public officer shall comply with any instructions issued to him.

6. Protection of public officers
(1) No public officer shall be personally liable for any damage, injury or loss suffered or incurred by any person as a result of any act done or omission made by the public officer in good faith in the exercise or performance or purported exercise or performance of any power, function or duty under this Ordinance.
(2) The protection conferred on public officers by subsection (1) in respect of any act or omission shall not in any way affect any liability of the Government in tort for that act or omission. (Amended 64 of 1999 s. 3)

7. Register of ships
(1) The Registrar shall keep a register of ships registered or provisionally registered under this Ordinance.
(2) The register shall contain such particulars in respect of ships, owners and their respective interests in ships, demise charterers, mortgagees and representative persons as are prescribed.
(3) The register may be kept in legible or non-legible form but if kept in non-legible form any entry in the register shall be capable of being reproduced in legible form.

### Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance 《商船(註冊)條例》

8. Inspection, etc. of register
(1) Any person may, on payment of the prescribed fee— (Amended 24 of 2023 s. 12)
(a) inspect the register in legible form;
(b) require to be furnished with a copy of, or extract from, any entry in the register in legible form; or
(c) require such copy or extract to be certified as a true copy by or on behalf of the Registrar.
(2) A certification under subsection (1)(c) in relation to any entry in the register relating to a listed certificate issued or granted in electronic form under Part IXA may be made in electronic form. (Added 24 of 2023 s. 12)
(3) In this section, for the purposes of an entry relating to a listed certificate issued or granted in electronic form under Part IXA—
copy (副本) includes a copy of the entry in electronic form;
extract (摘錄) includes an extract from the entry in electronic form;
listed certificate (表列證書) has the meaning given by section 80A. (Added 24 of 2023 s. 12)

### Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance 《商船(註冊)條例》

9. Rectification of register
(1) Where it appears to any person interested that there is a material error in the register, he may apply in writing to the Director for rectification of the register.
(2) Upon receipt of an application under subsection (1) the Director may, if in his opinion there is a material error in the register—
(a) direct the Registrar to rectify the register; or
(b) subject to subsection (3), require the applicant to apply to the Court of First Instance for rectification of the register. (Amended 25 of 1998 s. 2)
(3) Subsection (2)(b) shall not apply in any case where, in the opinion of the Director, the material error is due to the negligence or wilful act or omission of the Registrar.
(4) Notice of an application to the Court of First Instance under this section for rectification shall be served by the applicant on the Director and the Director may appear and be heard in the proceedings. (Amended 25 of 1998 s. 2)
(5) The Court of First Instance may, in proceedings under this section— (Amended 25 of 1998 s. 2)
(a) make such order as it thinks fit concerning the rectification of the register; and
(b) decide any question that it is necessary or expedient to decide concerning such rectification.
(6) A copy of an order under subsection (5) shall be served on the Director and the Registrar.
(7) The Registrar shall—
(a) comply with any direction to rectify the register under subsection (2)(a);
(b) upon receipt of the copy of an order served under subsection (6), and if the order so requires, rectify the register accordingly.
(8) For the purposes of this section—
(a) there is a material error in the register if there is an error of fact or substance in the register;
(b) without limiting the generality of paragraph (a), there is a material error in the register if—
(i) an entry is omitted from the register;
(ii) an entry is made in the register without sufficient cause;
(iii) an entry wrongly exists in the register; or
(iv) there is an error or defect in an entry in the register; and
(c) the reference in paragraph (b)(i) to an entry omitted from the register shall be read as including a reference to a matter that is required or permitted by this Ordinance to be entered, or to remain, in the register but is not entered in, or is removed from, the register.
(9) The jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance under this section may be exercised by the Registrar of the High Court or a Master thereof. (Amended 25 of 1998 s. 2)

### Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance 《商船(註冊)條例》

10. Correction of clerical errors in register
The Registrar may correct, or cause to be corrected, any clerical error or obvious mistake in the register.