Hong Kong lawmakers take part in reading the draft of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on March 8, 2024. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – The second reading of Hong Kong’s national security bill could take place before next Wednesday, after the city’s legislature on Friday agreed to fast-track the bill by waiving the 12-day notice period. 

For speed, the Legislative Council also decided to advance the deadline for legislators to submit their amendments to the Safeguarding National Security Bill to Saturday noon.

On Friday afternoon, Lee Wai-king, chairperson of the LegCo’s House Committee, read a letter from Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung during the committee’s meeting. 

READ MORE: Law-making mission nears success, says official

In the letter, Tang urged the LegCo president to waive the notice required ahead of tabling a motion of resuming the second reading, as to waive the notice of lawmakers’ amendments to the bill, to speed up the procedure. The official also requested the House Committee to assign a deadline on the earliest available date for lawmakers to submit their amendments to improve efficiency.

The draft law, along with its 40 amendments submitted by the authorities, had been reviewed by the bills committee from Mar 8 until Thursday

LegCo’s Rules of Procedure state that the council should be notified at least 12 days in advance if a motion needs to be moved in the legislature. For an amendment proposed by lawmakers to a bill, LegCo should be informed at least five days before the day on which the amendment will be considered by the council, according to the rules.

Both requirements can be waived by the LegCo president, the rules state.

The House Committee voted unanimously to approve Tang’s proposals and set the deadline of submitting amendments at 12pm on Saturday.

Before dealing with Tang’s proposals, the committee heard an oral report from lawmaker Martin Liao Cheung-kong on the clause-by-clause scrutiny of the national security bill, completed by a designated bills committee led by Liao.

The draft law, along with its 40 amendments submitted by the authorities, had been reviewed by the bills committee from Mar 8 until Thursday.

ALSO READ: HK to be safer after Article 23 legislation, UN meeting told

Liao said the bills committee fully supports resuming the bill’s second reading as soon as possible, saying it, after becoming law, will be compatible, complementary and closely linked to the National Security Law for Hong Kong, and together they can establish a comprehensive and powerful legal mechanism in the city to tackle national security risks.

This photo taken on March 8, 2024, shows public consultation booklets for Basic Law Article 23 legislation, in Hong Kong. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The bill will better protect the fundamental rights and freedoms that Hong Kong residents and other people enjoy, as well as property and investments in the special administrative region, enabling Hong Kong to focus on economic development, improve people’s livelihood and maintain long-term prosperity and stability, Liao concluded.

The Safeguarding National Security Bill, the Hong Kong government’s response to the long-delayed legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, was gazetted and submitted to LegCo for the first reading on Mar 8.

READ MORE: Overwhelming support expressed for Article 23 legislation

Hours after its first reading, the bill was passed on to the designated bills committee and underwent a 39-hour marathon scrutiny spread over six days in a row.

During the review, lawmakers raised detailed questions and proposals to the draft law. As a result, the government took in the suggestions during the meetings and introduced 40 amendments to the bill on Thursday, which were also scrutinized one–by-one in the committee.

Contact the writer at williamxu@chinadailyhk.com