The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
 
Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:
 
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:
 
     As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 has been cancelled, the Judiciary has announced that all hearings of the courts and tribunals will be resumed/ held as scheduled this afternoon (August 25). 
 
     Those who were due to attend court hearings this morning, including the jurors, should do so at 2.30pm today.
 
     Those who have been summoned for jury empanelment in the High Court this morning are not required to attend court until further notice in writing. 
 
     As for those who have been summoned for jury empanelment in the Coroner's Court this morning, they are required to appear in court at 2.30pm today. 

     Court/tribunal registries and offices will open at 11.20am today. Before that, while court users may use the integrated Court Case Management System (iCMS) for electronic services provided by the District Court registry as usual, any documents filed via the iCMS during the registry's closure period will be deemed to have been received upon its re-opening at 11.20am.
 
     It is anticipated that there will be a significant number of people going to the courts. In particular, for the High Court and West Kowloon Law Courts Building, given the need for security screening, court users are advised to arrive at the court building earlier to allow time for screening, particularly during the peak hours after the lunch break. 

     The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) today (August 22) held a session on the "Spirit of the President's Important Speech" at the Central Government Offices. The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, spoke at the session, enabling colleagues of the ITIB and its departments to have a deeper understanding and reflection of the spirit of the important speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

     President Xi raised "four musts" for the HKSAR Government in his important speech: it must fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems"; it must uphold the Central Government's overall jurisdiction while securing the HKSAR's high degree of autonomy; it must ensure that Hong Kong is administered by patriots; and it must maintain Hong Kong's distinctive status and advantages. President Xi also laid down "four proposals" for the HKSAR Government, i.e. further improving its governance, continuing to create strong impetus for growth, earnestly addressing people's concerns and difficulties in daily life, and working together to safeguard harmony and stability.
      
     Professor Sun said, "President Xi acknowledged the rapid growth of Hong Kong's innovation and technology (I&T) industry in his important speech. He encouraged us to leverage on the motherland's support and our connection with the world to keep creating strong impetus for growth and address earnestly people's concerns and difficulties in daily life. During his inspection of the Hong Kong Science Park, President Xi mentioned the country's full support for developing Hong Kong into an international I&T hub has been included in the 14th Five-Year Plan. His encouragement to scientific researchers also fully demonstrated the importance attached to and acknowledgement placed on Hong Kong's I&T development by the country which gave us the determination.
      
     "To further enhance the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong, we have to consolidate our strengths in research and development capabilities and facilitate collaborative development among industry, academia and research institutes. We should further deepen I&T co-operation with the Mainland, proactively align with the 14th Five-Year Plan and integrate into national development. We also need to expedite the I&T development in Hong Kong to fully enhance competitiveness, promote diversity in our economic development and create more quality employment opportunities for young people, with a view to enhancing the quality of life of the community and enabling members of the public to better perceive benefits brought about by technology development in society."
      
     Professor Sun encouraged colleagues to formulate and implement policies by adopting a result-oriented approach, and being pragmatic, bold and committed. Colleagues should also heed people's concerns with determination and actively devise development plans for Hong Kong.
      
     During the session, the Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Eddie Mak; the Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong; the Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Victor Lam; the Deputy Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Tony Wong; the Political Assistant to the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Dr Marcus Liu; and other participating colleagues also shared their thoughts.

     Around 160 colleagues of the ITIB and its departments, including the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the Efficiency Office, attended the session.

    

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, August 22, 2022 is 101.9 (up 0.2 against last Saturday's index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, August 20, 2022 is 101.7 (up 0.2 against last Friday's index).

     A Nepalese illegal worker holding a recognisance form was jailed by Shatin Magistrates' Courts on August 19.

     During a joint operation conducted by the Immigration Department (ImmD), the Hong Kong Police Force and the Labour Department codenamed "Powerplayer" on November 25 last year, investigators raided a restaurant in Yau Ma Tei. A Nepalese male, aged 36, was arrested while working as an odd-job worker. Upon identity checking, the man produced for inspection a recognisance form issued by the ImmD, which prohibits him from taking employment. Further investigation revealed that he was a non-refoulement claimant. Two employers suspected of employing the illegal worker were also arrested and the investigation is ongoing.

     The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates' Courts on August 19 with taking employment while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. After trial, he was sentenced to 22 months and two weeks' imprisonment.

     The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment.

     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

     According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (August 22) announced the results of a seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (first phase). The results of 146 samples tested were all satisfactory.

     A spokesman for the CFS said that samples covering traditional, snowy, ice-cream and other types of mooncakes had been collected from various retailers (including online retailers) and food factories for chemical and microbiological tests and nutrition content analysis.

     The chemical tests covered colouring matters, aflatoxins, preservatives and metallic contaminants. Microbiological tests covered different pathogens and hygiene indicators. For nutrition content analysis, the contents of sodium, sugars and total fat of the samples were tested to see if they were consistent with the declared values on the nutrition labels.

     The spokesman reminded members of the public to maintain a balanced diet and avoid excessive consumption of mooncakes as they are generally high in sugar and fat. Some types of mooncakes also contain relatively high levels of salt. Eating too much fat will increase the risk of being overweight and obese, while dietary sugar intake is a determinant of body weight and dental caries. In addition, excessive sodium intake will increase the risk of developing hypertension, fatal stroke and coronary heart disease.

     He advised people to refer to nutrition labels, particularly on the sugar, salt and fat contents, to make a healthier choice. People should avoid choosing mooncakes with high levels of fat or sugar, i.e. containing more than 20 grams of total fat or more than 15g of sugar per 100g of food. As for reducing salt intake, people can choose low-sodium mooncakes, i.e. containing less than 120 milligrams of sodium per 100g of food.

     He said that people should consider their health conditions and consume mooncakes in an appropriate amount during the Mid-Autumn Festival. He also advised people to share mooncakes with their family members and friends, as this not only enhances the festive atmosphere, but also allows them to taste mooncakes of different flavours and avoid overconsumption.

     Members of the public should heed the following points in the purchase, storage and consumption of mooncakes to prevent food-borne diseases:
 
* Buy mooncakes from reliable outlets rather than patronising unlicensed hawkers. Check whether the mooncakes are properly packaged, pay attention to the expiry dates before purchase and eat them before the expiry dates;
 
* Store mooncakes according to the instructions on the package if they are not to be consumed immediately. Keep snowy mooncakes at 4 degrees Celsius or below and ice-cream mooncakes at minus 18 degrees C or below, and consume them as soon as possible after taking them out from the refrigerator;

* Use an icebox to carry snowy or ice-cream mooncakes outdoors and consume them as soon as possible;

* Wrap mooncakes properly and separate them from raw food when storing in a refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination; and

* Maintain good personal hygiene. Wash hands properly with liquid soap and running water before handling and consuming mooncakes.

     The spokesman also reminded food traders to adhere to the Good Manufacturing Practice. Apart from purchasing food ingredients from reliable suppliers, they should also comply with legal requirements when using food additives.

     "Snowy and ice-cream mooncakes, which do not undergo a baking process at high temperature, need to be handled hygienically during processing, transportation and storage to avoid contamination and growth of germs," he said.

     The CFS will continue to conduct surveillance on mooncakes and the second-phase results will be released in a timely manner to ensure food safety.