The following is issued on behalf of the Law Reform Commission:

     The Law Reform Commission (LRC) today (December 31) announced that Ms Winnie Tam Wan-chi, SC, has been reappointed by the Chief Executive as a member of the LRC for a second three-year term with effect from January 1, 2022.

     First appointed to the LRC on January 1, 2019, Ms Tam has broad experience in intellectual property law and cross-border cases. She has also been active in public service and her work is widely acclaimed. The LRC expresses its appreciation to Ms Tam for her valuable contributions to the LRC's work over the past three years and believes that Ms Tam's professional eminence will continue to benefit the work of law reform in Hong Kong.

     With this latest reappointment, the LRC comprises the following members:

Secretary for Justice (Chairman)
Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal (ex officio member)
Law Draftsman (ex officio member)
Mr Justice Johnson Lam Man-hon
Ms Winnie Tam Wan-chi, SC
Ms May Chan Suk-mei
Professor Tan Cheng-han
Professor Lutz-Christian Wolff
Professor Fu Hualing
Mr Stephen Hung Wan-shun
Mrs Janice Choi Kwan Wing-kum
Mr Chan Chak-ming
Mrs Margaret Leung Ko May-yee

     The Government announced today (December 31) that the Chief Executive has appointed Mr Anson Wong Man-kit, SC, as the Chairman of the Banking Review Tribunal, and appointed four persons as members of the Tribunal. All appointments will take effect for a term of three years from January 1, 2022.  

     Two incumbent members of the Tribunal, namely Ms Joan Ho Yuk-wai and Professor Tam Kar-yan, are re-appointed, while Mr Andrew Fung Hau-chung and Mr Andrew Mak Yip-shing are newly appointed as members of the Tribunal.

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "I am confident that with their expertise and experience, the newly appointed Chairman and other appointees will contribute to the effective operation of the Tribunal. I also thank the outgoing Chairman, Mr Eugene Fung Ting-sek, SC, and two outgoing members, Mrs Dorothy Sit Kwan Yin-ping and Mr Dieter Yih Lai-tak, for their support over the past years."

     The Banking Review Tribunal was established under the Banking Ordinance to hear appeals against relevant decisions made by the Monetary Authority in relation to capital, liquidity and disclosure requirements that apply to authorised institutions.

     The above appointments were gazetted today.

Attention radio/TV announcers:

Please broadcast the following at suitable intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) reminds members of the public to maintain an appropriate social distance with other people as far as possible at the department's venues tonight (December 31). In particular, they should strictly observe regulations on the prohibition of group gatherings, and should wear masks at all times in any public place while celebrating the New Year. Offenders are liable to prosecution.

     Members of the public should also keep places clean and put rubbish in rubbish bins. Anyone not disposing of rubbish properly is liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500.

     Please remember that the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza area, Salisbury Garden and the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade will implement crowd management measures. Venues will step up patrols, and the LCSD appeals to members of the public to follow the regulations on the prohibition of group gatherings of more than the number of people as stipulated by the law and the mask-wearing requirement in public places and to keep places clean. Enforcement action will be taken against offenders. People who intend to go to the venues should follow the instructions of the duty personnel and mind their safety.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 31) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     The Government yesterday (December 30) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a "restriction-testing declaration" effective from 10pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Kennedy Town (i.e. Block A, Hoi Tao Building, 7-11 Belcher's Street, Kennedy Town) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the area had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from December 9 to December 30, 2021, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before January 1, 2022. As at 1.30am today, around 195 residents had undergone testing. No confirmed cases were found. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 7.30am today (December 31) and carried out enforcement action in the "restricted area" afterwards to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 10.20am today.

     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) (including the Central and Western District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Auxiliary Medical Service and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department mobilised around 140 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.

     The Government provided simple food for persons subject to compulsory testing, including canned food, instant noodles and corn kernels, so as to facilitate the dinner arrangements of some persons subject to compulsory testing. One box of masks were also provided to each person subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone's co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 7.30am today, the Government took enforcement action in the "restricted area" immediately to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result or wore a wristband as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 10.20am. Test records of around 90 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Around 15 persons were found not having undergone compulsory testing and fixed penalty of $5,000 and/or compulsory testing orders were issued to them. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the "restriction-testing declaration" in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).

     The Government reminds the about 20 households who have not answered the door to contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.

　　The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.

　　The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the "restriction-testing declaration" by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.