Members of the eighth Legislative Council will be sworn in on January 1 under the supervision of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, marking the first time the oath-taking ceremony will be held on a public holiday.
The government will then announce the list of LegCo members whose oaths are deemed valid after the swearing-in ceremony.
The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for the first time on the New Year’s Day public holiday, which some experienced lawmakers said was a sign of urgency in driving reforms.
They said it means the new LegCo will immediately follow up with the government's post-fire recovery work in Tai Po, legislative amendments, and consultations on the new budget after taking office.
Since the handover in 1997, the beginning of each LegCo term has not always coincided with the oath-taking date, with gaps ranging from two to more than 10 days.
For instance, the fourth LegCo – inaugurated in 2016 – began its term on October 1, while oaths were only taken on October 12.
In the past, oath-taking ceremonies were mostly held on Wednesdays, with lawmakers electing the president on the same day.
After the 2021 electoral overhaul, the seventh LegCo term began on January 1, 2022, in which members took their oath on January 3, with the chief executive administering the oaths, and the government confirmed that all oaths were valid later that day.
Under the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance, amended by the Public Offices (Candidacy and Taking Up Offices) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021, the chief executive or an authorized person acts as the administering officer for LegCo members’ oaths.
According to the ordinance, oaths are legally binding, and those taking an oath must sincerely believe in and strictly abide by the relevant oath prescribed by law. An oath taker who makes a false oath, or who – after taking the oath – engages in conduct in breach of it, shall bear legal responsibility in accordance with law.
