Societies Ordinance

Societies Ordinance
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Long title An Ordinance to provide for the registration of societies, for the prohibition of the operation of certain societies and for matters related thereto.[1]
Citation	Cap. 151
Enacted by	Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Commenced	17 November 1911
Legislative history
Introduced by	Registrar General A. W. Brewin[2]
First reading	19 October 1911
Second reading	16 November 1911
Third reading	16 November 1911
Amended by
1915, 1920, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1988, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997
Status: Current legislation

The Societies Ordinance is a piece of primary legislation in Hong Kong. It was enacted in 1911 and has undergone major revisions. The Ordinance regulates incorporated and unincorporated associations of persons (broadly defined as "societies") and requires registrations (unless regulated under a different ordinance or otherwise exempted). In other words, it prohibits informal or secret societies and poses limits to freedom of association. It also prohibits triad societies and modern successor gangs.

The legislative history of the Societies Ordinance is similar to the Public Order Ordinance. Their roots can be traced to the draconian anti-communist law in Singapore.^{[citation needed]} They were gradually relaxed, up to the 1992 when they were brought in line with international human rights standards by the outgoing government and the second last Legislative Council (1992–1995).^[3] Upon Hong Kong handover, the human rights amendments in the 1990s were reverted by the NPCSC of China.