High Court
108-548: District Court Magistrates' Court Special courts and tribunals: Chief Executive Elections Legislative elections District council elections Consular missions in Hong Kong Hong Kong–China relations Hong Kong–Taiwan relations The Companies Registry ( CR ; Chinese : 公司註冊處 ; also as Hong Kong Companies Registry ) is a government department under the Financial Services and
216-604: A company limited by shares would be HKD$ 1,720 and the price of registering a company limited by guarantee would vary from HKD$ 170 to 340 or even more, depending on the number of members the company has. All non-Hong Kong companies with a place of business in Hong Kong should register in the Companies Registry not later than one month after establishing that place of business in Hong Kong . Registration creates
324-579: A preference for sons , remained prevalent. Nuclear families were the most common households, although multi-generational and extended families were not unusual. In British-ruled Hong Kong, polygamy was legal until 1971 pursuant to the colonial practice of not interfering in local customs that British authorities viewed as relatively harmless to the public order. Spiritual concepts such as feng shui were observed; large-scale construction projects often hired consultants to ensure proper building positioning and layout. The degree of its adherence to feng shui
432-401: A "means to an end" and that every practitioner will have come across cases where a verdict of not guilty was either a "stupid or perverse one." Judges would be required to give reasons for verdict would should be sufficient safeguard. A person who has practised for at least 5 years as a barrister , advocate , solicitor or judicial officer in Hong Kong or another common law jurisdiction
540-533: A Company being Deregistered” should be first applied from the Commissioner of Inland Revenue . After the authority approved the application. A Form NDR1 from the Companies Registry and the approval notice must be submitted with a fee of HKD$ 420 within 3 months from the approval. District Court (Hong Kong) The District Court is the intermediate court system in Hong Kong , having limited criminal and civil jurisdictions. The District Court
648-498: A branch of that non-Hong Kong company in Hong Kong. Application requires five documents, the Form NN1, a certified copy of the instrument defining the company's constitution, a certified copy of the company's certificate of incorporation, a certified copy of the company's latest published accounts and a Notice to Business Registration Office (IRBR2). Certificate will be established once all the procedure completed. The fee of registering
756-468: A centre for international trade. In the colony's first decade, the revenue from the opium trade was a key source of government funds. The importance of opium reduced over time, but the colonial government was dependent on its revenues until the Japanese occupation in 1941. Although the largest businesses in the early colony were operated by British, American, and other expatriates, Chinese workers provided
864-538: A certified copy of any official document from the Government of Hong Kong . The fee of changing a non-Hong Kong company’s name is HKD$ 1425. Once the application is approved, the Certificate of Registration of Alteration of Name of Registered Non-Hong Kong Company will be issued by the Companies Registry . Annual Return and statutory documents are required for both non-Hong Kong and local companies to submit to
972-476: A conduit for international trade shielded it from most PRC pressure during the 1950s. Hong Kong received Chinese refugees - "Rightists" - fleeing the Chinese Civil War and communist persecution. They became cheap labour. Some were recruited in Hong Kong as anti-communist militants. A major cause of the 1956 Hong Kong riots started by "Rightists" was poverty. The response to the riots favoured
1080-599: A contract, quasi-contract or tort claim to be handled by the District Court, it should be for an amount over HK$ 75,000 but not more than HK$ 3 million. If the claim is more than HK$ 3 million, the claim can still be pursued in the District Court (instead of the Court of First Instance of the High Court ) provided that the excess is abandoned. If the claim is HK$ 75,000 or less, an adverse costs order may be made against
1188-762: A fast track to the Civil Service . Cadet officers gradually formed the backbone of the civil administration. After the Second World War, ethnic Chinese were allowed into the service, followed by women. Cadets were renamed Administrative Officers in the 1950s, and they remained the elite of the Civil Service during British rule. Prior to and during the Second World War , the garrison was composed of British Army battalions and locally enlisted personnel (LEPs) who served as regular members in
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#17327915586781296-622: A forward policy. In March 1857, Palmerston appointed Lord Elgin as Plenipotentiary, with the aim of securing a new and satisfactory treaty. A French expeditionary force joined the British to avenge the execution of a French missionary in 1856. In 1860, the capture of the Taku Forts and occupation of Beijing led to the Treaty of Tientsin and Convention of Peking . In the Treaty of Tientsin,
1404-583: A military administration with himself as its head. He formally accepted the Japanese surrender on 16 September in Government House . Young, upon his return as governor in May 1946, pursued political reform known as the " Young Plan ", believing that, to counter the Chinese government's determination to recover Hong Kong, it was necessary to give local inhabitants a greater stake in the territory by widening
1512-412: A new name of company must be handed to the office of Companies Registry with HKD$ 295 either in electronic or hard copy within 15 days after the qualification of the above requirement. Checking of the existing name of other registered companies is also needed no matter the type of company to avoid being rejected. Two documents are required for registered non-Hong Kong company to change name, Form NN10 and
1620-427: A non-Hong Kong company will all be the same price of HKD$ 1,720. Before starting the application, checking of the existing name of other registered companies may be needed as the Companies Registry will reject the request if the name has already been taken. There is a requirement for local companies to change the company name, they must qualify the “Special Resolution” and the intellectual property rights. Form NNC2 and
1728-473: A public company was reduced from 7 to 2, the explanation of a company limited by shares had been updated etc. The Companies Registry was then established on 1 May 1993 headed by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the trading fund of the Companies Registry was set up on 1 August 1993, being one of the earliest government department which operated with trading fund. In March 2021,
1836-497: A report has to be made to the High Court, which may order that the case be transferred. As to claims for possession of land, the District Court can deal with buildings or premises the annual rent or rateable value or the annual value of which does not exceed HK$ 320,000. If a claimant invokes the District Court's equity jurisdiction , the above limits are equally applicable, except that in proceedings wholly relating to land,
1944-525: A revision of the terms. In October 1856, Chinese authorities in Canton detained the Arrow , a Chinese-owned ship registered in Hong Kong to enjoy the protection of the British flag. The Consul in Canton, Harry Parkes , claimed the hauling down of the flag and arrest of the crew were "an insult of very grave character". Parkes and Sir John Bowring , the fourth Governor of Hong Kong , seized the incident to pursue
2052-401: A safe haven for dissidents, political refugees, and officials who lost power. British policy allowed dissidents to live in Hong Kong as long as they did not break local laws or harm British interests. The implementation of this policy varied according to what the senior officials thought constituted British interests and the state of relations with China. The Canton–Hong Kong strike (1925–1926)
2160-609: A sentence of up to seven years. Cases are heard in either the Cantonese or English language. A District Court Judge sits alone without a jury. From its establishment in 1953 there have been no juries in the district court. The Attorney General at the time the District Court Ordinance was passed, Arthur Ridehalgh , explained to the Legislative Council that juries were "not infallible" and only
2268-705: A separate political system, and the territory's rapid development during the late 20th century. Most migrants of that era fled poverty and war, reflected in the prevailing attitude toward wealth; Hongkongers tended to link self-image and decision-making to material benefits. Residents' sense of local identity remained post-handover, with the majority of the population (52%) identifying as "Hongkongers", while 11% described themselves as "Chinese". The remaining population held mixed identities, 23% as "Hongkonger in China" and 12% as "Chinese in Hong Kong". Traditional Chinese family values, including family honour , filial piety , and
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#17327915586782376-586: Is eligible to be appointed as a Judge, Registrar or Master of the District Court. District Judges, as well as the Registrar and Masters of the District Court, are appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the independent Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission (JORC). Limited-term or vacancy-filling Deputy District Judges may be appointed by the Chief Justice . It
2484-552: Is not uncommon for a person to sit as a short-term Deputy District Judge prior to appointment in a permanent capacity. In 1986, Judge Helen Lo was the first woman to be appointed as a District Judge. District judges are mandated to retire at age 65. The Chief District Judge is the Court Leader of the District Court. The Judges who have held the position of Chief District Judge to date are: District Judges are referred to as 'His/Her Honour Judge [surname]'. The Judges of
2592-510: The British Cabinet decided that the Chinese should be made to pay for the destruction of British property, either by the threat or use of force. An expeditionary force was placed under Elliot and his cousin, Rear-Admiral George Elliot , as joint plenipotentiaries in 1840. Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston stressed to the Chinese government that the British government did not question China's right to prohibit opium, but it objected to
2700-643: The British-Hong Kong colony . The 1958 Ordinance was followed by the previous law, mainly to define “charitable purpose”, which the meaning was unclear before it. Till 1970s, the Companies (Amendment) Bill gave power to the Companies Law Revision Committee which was aimed to protect the interest of the investors in Hong Kong by giving suggestion to revise the law from British so that the law could be more suitable for
2808-658: The Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, Field Marshal Sir Charles Guthrie , also attended. Representing China were the CCP General Secretary and President of China , Jiang Zemin ; Premier of China , Li Peng ; and Tung Chee-hwa , the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong . This event was broadcast on television and radio stations across the world. Hong Kong was a Crown colony of
2916-409: The Companies Registry such as notice of appointment of receiver or manager, notice of mortgagee entering possession of property or notification of payment. The fee of them varies from HKD$ 40 to HKD$ 4,800. With the restriction of Companies Ordinance, Limited Partnerships Ordinance, Registered Trustees Incorporation Ordinance and Miscellaneous Incorporation Ordinances, information should be disclosed to
3024-615: The Convention of Chuenpi during the First Opium War . On 20 January, Elliot announced "the conclusion of preliminary arrangements", which included the cession of the barren Hong Kong Island and its harbour to the British Crown . Elliot chose Hong Kong Island instead of Chusan because he believed a settlement nearer to Shanghai would cause an "indefinite protraction of hostilities", whereas Hong Kong Island's harbour
3132-867: The Emperor of China , then to proceed to the Gulf of Bohai for a treaty, and if the Chinese resisted, then to blockade the key ports of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. Palmerston demanded a territorial base in the Chusan Islands for trade so that British merchants "may not be subject to the arbitrary caprice either of the Government of Peking, or its local Authorities at the Sea-Ports of the Empire". In 1841, Elliot negotiated with Lin's successor, Qishan , in
3240-469: The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau proposed changes to the Companies Registry that would begin to restrict access to some of its data to the public. In October 2021, the government announced that the system would require users to enter in their personal information. - Registration for companies, limited partnerships, trust companies and registered trustees. - Let public to access
3348-588: The First Opium War , the island of Hong Kong was ceded in perpetuity to Great Britain. It was established as a Crown colony in 1843. In 1860, the British expanded the colony with the addition of the Kowloon Peninsula and was further extended in 1898 when the British obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories . Although the Qing had to cede Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in perpetuity as per
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3456-606: The Government , regardless of the amount. The District Court also hears appeals from taxpayers against assessments by the Collector of Stamp Duty . The system is modelled after the English legal system , with indictable offences being taken up by the District Court if they are transferred from the magistrate's court . The District Court hears all serious cases except murder, manslaughter rape and dangerous drug cases where large quantities of drugs have been seized, and can impose
3564-765: The Great Hall of the People . The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office at first proposed a list of 60–80 Hong Kong people to attend the ceremony. The number was finally extended to 101. The list included Hong Kong government officials, members of the Legislative and Executive Councils, chairmen of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank , Hong Kong celebrities such as Li Ka-shing , Pao Yue-kong and Fok Ying-tung , and also Martin Lee Chu-ming and Szeto Wah . The handover ceremony
3672-677: The Lands Tribunal . In practice, however, only certain District Judges are assigned to hear cases in the Lands Tribunal. The Chief Justice appoints on a temporary basis a number of Permanent Magistrates , retired judges and practitioners in private practice to sit as Deputy District Judges. A Deputy District Judge may exercise all the jurisdiction, powers and privileges of a District Judge. All Deputy District Judges are, by virtue of their office, Presiding Officers of
3780-580: The United Kingdom . Major changing from the previous Companies Ordinance were lowering the minimum person of starting private company , penalties and restriction to company’s operation. A revised 1932 Ordinance was formed with the Companies Act 1929 which was mainly to incorporate the rising of China companies. In 1949, the 1949 Amendment Ordinance was constructed which let the companies in Hong Kong to expand and develop business outside
3888-475: The socio-economic environment in Hong Kong . There were different versions of the Companies (Amendment) Bill in 1972, 1974, 1977, 1978 and 1979. The Companies Law Revision Committee kept editing and improving the law under the introduction of the Companies (Amendment) Bill 1984. In the same year, the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 1984 was published. Alternation of the memorandum , power of companies, definition of company limited by shares etc. were added into
3996-563: The 1980s, films such as A Better Tomorrow , As Tears Go By , and Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain expanded global interest beyond martial arts films ; locally made gangster films, romantic dramas, and supernatural fantasies became popular. Hong Kong cinema continued to be internationally successful over the following decade with critically acclaimed dramas such as Farewell My Concubine , To Live and Wong Kar Wai movies. The city's martial arts film roots were evident in
4104-577: The 1990s, when the Four Heavenly Kings dominated Asian record charts. Despite a general decline since late in the decade, Western classical music historically had a strong presence in Hong Kong and remained a large part of local musical education. The publicly funded Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra , the territory's oldest professional symphony orchestra, frequently hosted musicians and conductors from overseas. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra , composed of classical Chinese instruments ,
4212-635: The Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance as well as the licensing regime for money lenders under the Money Lenders Ordinance. Its headquarters is located at Queensway Government Offices in Hong Kong Island . The previous form of the Companies Registry was formed in 1865 with the enforcement of the first Companies Ordinance which was based on the 1862 Act in the United Kingdom and
4320-706: The British sought to extend Hong Kong for defence. After negotiations began in April 1898, with the British Minister in Beijing, Sir Claude MacDonald , representing Britain, and diplomat Li Hongzhang leading the Chinese, the Second Convention of Peking was signed on 9 June. Since the foreign powers had agreed by the late 19th century that it was no longer permissible to acquire outright sovereignty over any parcel of Chinese territory, and in keeping with
4428-509: The British to the Canton Factories and cut off their supplies. Chief Superintendent of Trade, Charles Elliot , complied with Lin's demands to secure a safe exit for the British, with the costs involved to be resolved between the two governments. When Elliot promised that the British government would pay for their opium stock, the merchants surrendered their 20,283 chests of opium, which were destroyed in public . In September 1839,
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4536-544: The British. However, the Japanese Empire had severe logistical difficulties and by 1943 the food supply for Hong Kong was problematic. The overlords became more brutal and corrupt, and the Chinese gentry became disenchanted. With the surrender of Japan, the transition back to British rule was smooth, for on the mainland the Nationalist and Communist forces were preparing for a civil war and ignored Hong Kong. In
4644-535: The Chinese accepted British demands to open more ports, navigate the Yangtze River, legalise the opium trade and have diplomatic representation in Beijing. During the conflict, the British occupied the Kowloon Peninsula , where the flat land was valuable training and resting ground. The area in what is now south of Boundary Street and Stonecutters Island was ceded in the Convention of Peking. In 1898,
4752-594: The Chinese government under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek that if Japan attacked Hong Kong, the Chinese National Army would attack the Japanese from the rear to relieve pressure on the British garrison. On 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong began when Japanese air bombers effectively destroyed British air power in one attack. Two days later, the Japanese breached the Gin Drinkers Line in
4860-477: The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2003 established and the main change was the forbiddance of starting a company limited by guarantee with a share capital . On 10 December 2010, a revised version, Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 was introduced which the Ordinance gave a larger extent of power to penalize the violation of rules. The new Companies Ordinance 2014 which include 921 sections and 11 schedules
4968-583: The Companies Ordinance in 1977. The period of reservation for both newly established company and existing company was three months. Extending for extra three months of the period of reservation could be applied. In 1984, there were major and important laws established by the Standing Committee. Power was given to the company by the Companies Ordinance to manage the operation of the company, the minimum number of individuals to establish
5076-561: The District Court as of 5 December 2022 are (ranked by seniority): Chief District Judge District Judges Pursuant to a general power of appointment to vacancies or on a temporary basis under sections 10 and 37A of the High Court Ordinance, Cap. 4, the Chief Justice frequently makes short-term appointments of District Court judges to sit in the High Court as a Deputy Judge or Master. All District Judges are, by virtue of their office, Presiding Officers of
5184-730: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and Hong Kong's previous capitalist system and its way of life would remain unchanged for a period of 50 years. The Joint Declaration provides that these basic policies shall be stipulated in the Hong Kong Basic Law . The ceremony of the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration took place at 18:00, 19 December 1984 at the Western Main Chamber of
5292-711: The Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy or the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and their associate land units. The Hong Kong Brigade served as the main garrison formation. After the outbreak of the Second World War, the garrison was reinforced with British Indian Army and Canadian Army units. A second brigade, the Kowloon Infantry Brigade, was formed to assist in commanding the expanded force. The garrison
5400-634: The Lands Tribunal. In practice, however, only certain Deputy District Judges are assigned to hear cases in the Lands Tribunal. All Judges of the District Court (regardless of whether Chief District Judge, Judges or Deputy Judges) are addressed in court as "Your Honour". In court judgments and decisions, District Judges are referred to as 'His/Her Honour Judge [surname]', 'HH Judge [surname]' or 'HHJ [surname]'. Deputy District Judges are referred to as 'Deputy District Judge [surname]' or 'DDJ [surname]'. British Hong Kong Hong Kong
5508-430: The Letters Patent and Royal Instructions. The Executive Council determined administrative policy changes and considered primary legislation before passing it to the Legislative Council for approval. This advisory body also itself issued secondary legislation under a limited set of colonial ordinances. The Legislative Council debated proposed legislation and was responsible for the appropriation of public funds. This chamber
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#17327915586785616-441: The New Territories. The British commander, Major-General Christopher Maltby , concluded that the island could not be defended for long unless he withdrew his brigade from the mainland. On 18 December, the Japanese crossed Victoria Harbour . By 25 December, organised defence was reduced into pockets of resistance. Maltby recommended a surrender to Governor Sir Mark Young , who accepted his advice to reduce further losses. A day after
5724-420: The Ordinance. the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance of 1990 and 1995 adjusted certain fee charges and started to introduce documents in Chinese . In 1997, Hong Kong was officially handover to China from British colony , the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance of 1997 further translated the details of law to Chinese . A new function of deregistration was first introduced by the Ordinance 1999. Until 2 July 2003,
5832-479: The PRC; the PRC provided a list of Taiwanese agents. By this time, Britain no longer considered a Taiwanese conquest of China to be realistic; the evolving discourse on human rights also made it difficult to legitimize being a sponsor of state terrorism . The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed by both the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Premier of the People's Republic of China on 19 December 1984 in Beijing. The Declaration entered into force with
5940-473: The Registrar General’s Department under the introduction of Registrar General (Establishment) Ordinance. In 1962, the Companies Law Revision Committee was formed to review and improve the company legislation in Hong Kong in order to establish a more comprehensive rules regarding to the characteristics of the Hong Kong economic environment. After years of revision of the Companies Ordinance, a system of reserving company’s name had been introduced in Section 20A of
6048-470: The Rightists; Rightist instigators were lightly prosecuted, compensation was denied to communists and bystanders, and the communists were officially blamed as coinstigators. The lax persecution of the riots Rightists instigators was used by the PRC to criticize the "airy use of the rule of law as a pragmatic stand-in for human rights " that characterized British colonialism. In 1963, Hong Kong suppressed cells of Taiwanese militants in response to demands from
6156-472: The Sex Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 480), the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 487), the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 527) and the Race Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 602). Such claims are governed by the District Court Equal Opportunities Rules (Cap. 336G) and Practice Direction SL8. The District Court has jurisdiction to handle claims by the Inland Revenue Department against defaulting taxpayers to recover outstanding tax due to
6264-513: The Supreme Court were heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council , which exercised final adjudication over the entire British Empire. In March 1975 the Hong Kong government introduced a programme to measure public opinion of government efforts, known as Movement of Opinion Direction (MOOD). In 1861, Governor Sir Hercules Robinson introduced the Hong Kong Cadetship, which recruited young graduates from Britain to learn Cantonese and written Chinese for two years, before deploying them on
6372-415: The Treasury Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong . Its responsibilities include the registration of Hong Kong companies and non-Hong Kong companies under the Companies Ordinance, open-ended fund companies under the Securities and Futures Ordinance and limited partnership funds under the Limited Partnerships Funds Ordinance. It administers the licensing regime for trust and corporate service providers under
6480-439: The UK and the Commonwealth , as well as Chinese cities and places. Aside from Chinese New Year , Christmas was celebrated as the second-most important festival. In literature , some idioms in Cantonese were directly translated from those in English. A Mandarin Chinese speaker might recognise the words but not understand the meaning. Food in Hong Kong under British rule was primarily based on Cantonese cuisine , despite
6588-437: The United Kingdom Government declared that it would relinquish Hong Kong to the PRC with effect from 1 July 1997. In the document, the People's Republic of China Government also declared its basic policies regarding Hong Kong. In accordance with the One Country, Two Systems principle agreed between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China, the socialist system of People's Republic of China would not be practised in
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#17327915586786696-400: The United Kingdom and maintained an administration roughly modelled after the Westminster system . The Letters Patent formed the constitutional basis of the colonial government and the Royal Instructions detailed how the territory should be governed and organised. The Governor was the head of government and appointed by the British monarch to serve as the representative of the Crown in
6804-563: The annual Tuen Ng Festival . The race was revived as a modern sport as part of the Tourism Board 's efforts to promote Hong Kong's image abroad. The first modern competition was organised in 1976, and overseas teams began competing in the first international race in 1993. The Hong Kong Jockey Club , known between 1960 and 1996 as the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, became the territory's largest taxpayer. Three forms of gambling were legal in Hong Kong: lotteries, horse racing, and football. During China's turbulent 20th century, Hong Kong served as
6912-456: The bulk of the manpower to build a new port city. By the late 1980s, many ethnic Chinese people had become major business figures in Hong Kong. Amongst these billionaires was Sir Li Ka-shing , who had become one of the colony's wealthiest people by this time. British Hong Kong was characterised as a hybrid of East and West . Traditional Chinese values emphasising family and education blended with Western ideals, including economic liberty and
7020-437: The call of the Communists was basically heeded by the working men, and their actions practically paralysed the colony for a year. By the [end of the] 1960s, however, the attempts by the Hong Kong government to maintain stability and good order which helped improve everyone's living conditions, and ... the beginning of the emergence of a Hong Kong identity, changed the attitude of the local Chinese. They overwhelmingly rallied around
7128-488: The colony until 1974, when Chinese was accorded co-official status. In addition to British English being taught in primary and secondary schools , there were also English-medium schools operated by the English Schools Foundation , established in 1967. For the metro system, the metro lines were named after places instead of numbered, unlike Mainland China , where metro lines were numbered. Roads were named after British royals, governors, famous people, cities and towns across
7236-429: The colony. Executive power was highly concentrated with the Governor, who himself appointed almost all members of the Legislative Council and Executive Council and also served as President of both chambers. The British government provided oversight for the colonial government; the Foreign Secretary formally approved any additions to the Legislative and Executive Councils and the Sovereign held sole authority to amend
7344-427: The exchange of instruments of ratification on 27 May 1985 and was registered by the People's Republic of China and United Kingdom governments at the United Nations on 12 June 1985. In the Joint Declaration, the People's Republic of China Government stated that it had decided to resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong (including Hong Kong Island , Kowloon, and the New Territories) with effect from 1 July 1997 and
7452-423: The imperial government of the Qing dynasty undertook a major policy review of the opium trade, which had been first introduced to the Chinese by Persian then Islamic traders over many centuries. Viceroy Lin Zexu took on the task of suppressing the opium trade. In March 1839, he became Special Imperial Commissioner in Canton , where he ordered the foreign traders to surrender their opium stock. He confined
7560-411: The information held by the Companies Registry . - Make sure the registered company following the related Ordinances. - Management of Trust or Company Service Provider’s licence. - Give advice to the Government and the Legislative Council regarding to the company law. The first Companies Ordinance was established in 1865 after the British colonized Hong Kong in 1842. The Companies Ordinance 1865
7668-638: The invasion, Chiang ordered three corps under General Yu Hanmou to march towards Hong Kong. The plan was to launch a New Year's Day attack on the Japanese in the Canton region, but before the Chinese infantry could attack, the Japanese had broken Hong Kong's defences. The British casualties were 2,232 killed or missing and 2,300 wounded. The Japanese reported 1,996 killed and 6,000 wounded. The Japanese soldiers committed atrocities, including rape, on many locals. The population fell in half, from 1.6 million in 1941 to 750,000 at war's end because of fleeing refugees; they returned in 1945. The Japanese imprisoned
7776-405: The long run the occupation strengthened the pre-war social and economic order among the Chinese business community by eliminating some conflicts of interests and reducing the prestige and power of the British. On 14 August 1945, when Japan announced its unconditional surrender, the British formed a naval task group to sail towards Hong Kong. On 1 September, Rear-Admiral Cecil Harcourt proclaimed
7884-539: The maximum value shall not exceed HK$ 7 million. Distraint claims are handled by the District Court. The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction to determine claims for compensation payable under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282), regardless of the amount. Such claims are governed by the Employees' Compensation (Rules of Court) Rules (Cap. 282B) and Practice Direction 18.2. The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction to deal with claims made under
7992-686: The opportunity to mobilise their followers to protest against the colonial government. Chinese Communist Party supporters organised the Anti-British Struggle Committee during the riots. Steve Tsang , director of the China Institute of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London , wrote that it was "ironic" that despite Hong Kong being a symbol of China's humiliation by Britain, there
8100-488: The other territorial cessions China made to Russia , Germany and France that same year, the extension of Hong Kong took the form of a 99-year lease. The lease consisted of the rest of Kowloon south of the Sham Chun River and 230 islands, which became known as the New Territories . The British formally took possession on 16 April 1899. In 1941, during the Second World War, the British reached an agreement with
8208-873: The political franchise to include them. Hong Kong remained a part of the UK and overseas colonies from 1949 until it transitioned its colony to a British dependent territory in 1983. The economy was the main concern after the Chinese Civil War . Hong Kong welcomed business from both the PRC and Taiwan . Investments from Taiwan were particularly lucrative, and Taiwanese interests were given preferential treatment in state compensation and justice. The Triads were strongly embedded in Taiwanese economic connections. POlitical activity, covert activity and low intensity violence - including assassinations - by Chinese and Taiwanese agents
8316-595: The public in certain extent. Information of company and records of licensed money lender can be searched at the Cyber Search Centre located in the office of Companies Registry . Some of the searching are not charged which include company name, document index, register of disqualification orders index and register of charges index. For charged document such as principal account, directors index search or obtaining certificate etc. The price of these documents varies from HKD$ 9 to HKD$ 500. “Notice of No Objection to
8424-445: The purpose of starting a company. A company limited by shares is the most common type of company in Hong Kong. Three documents will be needed for the application, Form NNC1 for company limited by shares or Form NNC1G for company not limited by shares, a copy of the company's articles of association and a Notice to Business Registration Office (IRBR1). Certificate will be established once all the procedure completed. The fee of registering
8532-419: The roles of the most prolific Hong Kong actors. Jackie Chan , Donnie Yen , Jet Li , Chow Yun-fat , and Michelle Yeoh frequently play action-oriented roles in foreign films. At the height of the local movie industry in the early 1990s, over 400 films were produced each year; since then, industry momentum shifted to mainland China. The number of films produced annually declined to about 60 in 2017. Cantopop
8640-404: The rule of law. Although the vast majority of the population was ethnically Chinese, Hong Kong developed a distinct identity from the mainland through its long period of colonial administration and a different pace of economic, social, and cultural development, with mainstream culture was derived from immigrants originating from various parts of China. This was influenced by British-style education,
8748-399: The ruling British colonial elite and sought to win over the local merchant gentry by appointments to advisory councils and neighbourhood watch groups. The policy worked well for Japan and produced extensive collaboration from both the elite and the middle class, with far less terror than in other Chinese cities. Hong Kong was transformed into a Japanese colony, with Japanese businesses replacing
8856-551: The signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, which stated that the economic and social systems in Hong Kong would remain relatively unchanged for 50 years, the British government agreed to transfer the entire territory to China upon the expiration of the New Territories lease in 1997 – with Hong Kong becoming a special administrative region (SAR) until at least 2047. In 1836,
8964-599: The territory was taken up by additional British forces who were rotated from Europe. The garrison was further supplemented by LEPs, and Gurkhas . The latter came from Nepal , but formed part of the British Army. The size of the garrison during the Cold War fluctuated and ended up being based around one brigade. The Royal Hong Kong Regiment , a military unit which was part of the Hong Kong Government,
9072-442: The territory's exposure to foreign influences and its residents' varied origins. Rice was the staple food, and was usually served plain with other dishes. Freshness of ingredients was emphasised. Poultry and seafood were commonly sold live at wet markets , and ingredients were used as quickly as possible. There were five daily meals: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and siu yeh . Dim sum , as part of yum cha (brunch),
9180-655: The territory's first Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics , Between 1972 and 1996, Hong Kong athletes won 60 medals at the Paralympic Games . As part of the Commonwealth , British Hong Kong participated in the Commonwealth Games , in which it won 17 medals , the city's last appearance in the Games being in 1994 . Dragon boat races originated as a religious ceremony conducted during
9288-451: The treaty, the leased New Territories comprised 86.2% of the colony and more than half of the entire colony's population. With the lease nearing its end during the late 20th century, Britain did not see any viable way to administer the colony by dividing it, whilst the People's Republic of China would not consider extending the lease or allow continued British administration thereafter. With
9396-586: The way this was handled. He viewed the sudden strict enforcement as laying a trap for the foreign traders, and the confinement of the British with supplies cut off was tantamount to starving them into submission or death. He instructed the Elliot cousins to occupy one of the Chusan Islands in the Hangzhou Bay delta across from Shanghai , then to present a letter from himself to a Chinese official for
9504-438: The winning plaintiff due to pursuing its claim in the wrong court. If the plaintiff's claim does not exceed HK$ 3 million, but the defendant counterclaims for over HK$ 3 million, the claim and the counterclaim (or the counterclaim only) may be transferred to the Court of First Instance of the High Court . For good reasons, the District Court may continue to handle the whole case even when the counterclaim exceeds HK$ 3 million, but
9612-470: Was a British colony and later a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1841 to 1997, with a period of Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945 during World War II . The colonial period began with the British occupation of Hong Kong Island under the Convention of Chuenpi in 1841 of the Victorian era . In accordance with Art. III of the Treaty of Nanking of 1842, signed in the aftermath of
9720-414: Was a dining-out tradition with family and friends. Dishes include congee , cha siu bao , siu yuk , egg tarts , and mango pudding . Local versions of Western food were served at cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style cafes). Common cha chaan teng menu items include macaroni in soup, deep-fried French toast, and Hong Kong-style milk tea . Film making in Hong Kong began as early as 1909, but Hong Kong
9828-407: Was a genre of Cantonese popular music which emerged in Hong Kong during the 1970s. Evolving from Shanghai-style shidaiqu , it was also influenced by Cantonese opera and Western pop. Local media featured songs by artists such as Sam Hui , Anita Mui , Leslie Cheung , and Alan Tam ; during the 1980s, exported films and shows exposed Cantopop to a global audience. The genre's popularity peaked in
9936-459: Was a valuable base for the British trading community in Canton. British rule began with the occupation of the island on 26 January. Commodore Gordon Bremer , commander-in-chief of British forces in China, took formal possession of the island at Possession Point , where the Union Jack was raised under a fire of joy from the marines and a royal salute from the warships. Hong Kong Island
10044-489: Was anti-imperialist in nature. The 1966 riots and Maoist -led 1967 riots , essentially spillovers from the Cultural Revolution , were large scale demonstrations fuelled by tensions surrounding labour disputes and dissatisfaction towards the government. Although the 1967 riots started as a labour dispute, the incident escalated quickly after the leftist camp and mainland officials stationed in Hong Kong seized
10152-551: Was believed to determine the success of a business. Bagua mirrors were regularly used to deflect evil spirits, and buildings often lack floor numbers with a 4 ; the number has a similar sound to the word for "die" in Cantonese. A prominent example of cultural integration in everyday life in British Hong Kong, was the use of British English as a common second language , and also the sole official language of
10260-565: Was ceded in the Treaty of Nanking on 29 August 1842 and established as a Crown colony after the ratification exchanged between the Daoguang Emperor and Queen Victoria was completed on 26 June 1843. By 1842, Hong Kong had become the major arms supply port in the Asia-Pacific region. The Treaty of Nanking failed to satisfy British expectations of a major expansion of trade and profit, which led to increasing pressure for
10368-657: Was commenced on 3 March 2014. There were few changes on deregistration, General meetings , corporate director etc. Some details were extending the application of deregistration from private companies only to also companies limited by guarantee , the name of Extraordinary General Meeting was changed to General Meeting , lowered the restriction of corporate director which needed at least one director to one natural person. Local companies may be unlimited companies or limited companies. Two types of limited company are opened for registration in Hong Kong , company limited by shares and company limited by guarantee , depending on
10476-567: Was defeated during the Battle of Hong Kong , by the Empire of Japan . After the Second World War and the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong , the British military reestablished a presence. As a result of the Chinese Civil War , the British Army raised the 40th Infantry Division and dispatched it to garrison Hong Kong. It later left for combat in the Korean War , and the defense of
10584-518: Was deputy to the Governor. The judicial system was based on English law , with Chinese customary law taking a secondary role in civil cases involving Chinese residents. The Supreme Court of Hong Kong was the highest court and ruled on all civil and criminal cases in the colony. During the early colonial period, extraterritorial appellate cases from other regions of China involving British subjects were also tried in this court. Further appeals from
10692-529: Was established in 1953 with the enactment of the District Court Ordinance. It is located in the Wanchai Law Courts, Wanchai Tower , 12 Harbour Road. In the past there were six district courts , namely Victoria , Kowloon , Fanling , Tsuen Wan , Tuen Mun and Sha Tin , before being amalgamated and moved to the same location in March 1991. The District Court has limited civil jurisdiction. For
10800-590: Was governed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court . Before 1865, the companies in Hong Kong were restricted by the British Law introducing from the 29 January 1841 by Sir James John Gordon Bremer and Captain Charles Elliot . However, the British Law wasn’t designed for the nature of the economic system in Hong Kong . Until 1949, the administration of the Companies Registry was passed to
10908-799: Was held at the new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on the night of 30 June 1997. The principal British guest was Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles III, King of the United Kingdom) who read a farewell speech on behalf of the Queen . The newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Tony Blair ; the Foreign Secretary , Robin Cook ; the departing Governor of Hong Kong , Chris Patten ;
11016-493: Was not a film making hub until the late 1940s, when a wave of Shanghai filmmakers migrated to the territory; these movie veterans helped build the colony's entertainment industry over the next decade. By the 1960s, the city was well known to overseas audiences through films such as The World of Suzie Wong . When Bruce Lee 's The Way of the Dragon was released in 1972, local productions became popular outside Hong Kong. During
11124-399: Was not one major movement started by the Chinese residents of the colony for its retrocession to China, even though there had been several upsurges of Chinese nationalism . He explained: In the 1920s, the working class Chinese of Hong Kong did not have a good reason to rally around the Hong Kong government, and they were more susceptible to appeals based on Chinese nationalism. Consequently,
11232-491: Was reformed in the last years of colonial rule to introduce more democratic representation. Indirectly elected functional constituency seats were introduced in 1985 and popularly elected geographical constituency seats in 1991 . Further electoral reform in 1994 effectively made the legislature broadly representative. The administrative Civil Service was led by the Colonial Secretary (later Chief Secretary), who
11340-644: Was the leading Chinese ensemble and played a significant role in promoting traditional music in the community. Despite its small area, the territory regularly hosted the Hong Kong Sevens , Hong Kong Marathon , Hong Kong Tennis Classic and Lunar New Year Cup , and hosted the inaugural AFC Asian Cup and the 1995 Dynasty Cup . Hong Kong was separately represented from mainland China , with its own sports teams in international competitions. The territory participated in almost every Summer Olympics since 1952 and earned four gold medals . Lee Lai-shan won
11448-436: Was tolerated so long as it did not disrupt public order or threaten British sovereignty. Hong Kong was a base for American-sponsored Taiwanese and anti-communist insurgents and terrorists operating in southern China in the 1950s and early 1960s. The British claimed that increasing policing to control movement from Hong Kong to China was impractical, and that the mutual open border policy was responsible. Hong Kong's value as
11556-589: Was trained and organised along the lines of a British Territorial Army unit. As such, it was supported by British Army regular personnel holding key positions. These British Army personnel, for their duration of service to the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, were seconded to the Hong Kong Government. In the post-WWII era, the majority of the regiment's members were local citizens of Chinese descent. The stability, security, and predictability of British law and government enabled Hong Kong to flourish as
11664-462: Was written based on the 1862 Act in the United Kingdom which benefited the English companies to develop business in Hong Kong . It introduced numbers of rules regarding to the incorporation of companies, major restrictions were the minimum number of members to start a business, kinds of limited liability , name changing etc. Till 1911, a new Companies Ordinance was issued under the 1908 Act in
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