The sixth-term Legislative Council of Hong Kong must keep carrying out its duties after 30 September 2020 for at least one year, until the seventh-term Legislative Council begins.
This is an English translation of the original instrument in Chinese and is published for information—Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on the Continuing Discharge of Duties by the Sixth Term Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Adopted at the Twenty-first Session of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress on 11 August 2020) Editorial Note:This instrument was not given a chapter number under the Legislation Publication Ordinance (Cap. 614). An unofficial reference number, however, is assigned to this instrument in Hong Kong e-Legislation (https://www.elegislation.gov.hk) for identification purposes. This also enables users to carry out a search by reference to the unofficial reference number. The Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress deliberated at its Twenty-first Session the motion submitted by the State Council requesting a decision by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on the continuing operation of the sixth term Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The motion was moved following the relevant report submitted by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to the Central People’s Government. In response to the severe local situation of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in consultation with the Executive Council had decided to postpone the election for the seventh term Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for one year. As such, there will be a lacuna in the legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. To safeguard the constitutional order and order of the rule of law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and to ensure the normal governmental administration of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the normal operation of the society, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress decides, pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, as follows: After 30 September 2020, the sixth term Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is to continue to discharge duties for not less than one year until the seventh term of office of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region begins. After the seventh term Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is formed in accordance with the law, its term of office remains to be four years. The decision is hereby announced.