Hong Kong Legislative Council waives notice requirement for second reading of local security bill News
17jiangz1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hong Kong Legislative Council waives notice requirement for second reading of local security bill

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council waived the 12-day prior notice requirement under the Notice of Motions and Amendments to resume the second reading of the new local national security bill upon Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang’s request in a letter to the Legislative Council’s House Committee on Friday.

The Notice of Motions and Amendment authorizes the president of the Legislative Council to waive the 12-day and 5-day notice requirements for a motion to be moved and amended by the Legislative Council, respectively.

The House Committee unanimously voted in approval of Tang’s proposals to waive relevant notice requirements to resume the second reading of the new local national security bill as soon as possible. Besides waiving the 12-day notice requirement, the committee also set the deadline for lawmakers to submit proposed amendments until 12:00 PM local time on Saturday.

In expressing support for Tang’s proposals, Legislative Council member Martin Liao Cheung-kong said that the new local, national security bill would complement Hong Kong’s China-imposed National Security Law, better protect fundamental rights, allow Hong Kong to focus on economic development and maintain long-term stability and prosperity. In addition, Legislative Council member Regina Ip said that the new bill would allow Hong Kong to be safer and aid Hong Kong’s future development.

The Hong Kong government previously sent the new local national security bill on March 8 to the Legislative Council for deliberation. The bill criminalized certain offenses, such as treason and insurrection, that were not criminalized in the China-imposed National Security Law. On February 28, the Hong Kong government announced that it concluded the four-week public consultation period for Hong Kong’s local security law under Article 23 of the Basic Law.

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