发布文号:
目录
条次
1．简称
2．释义
3．［已撤销］
4．［已撤销］
5．［已撤销］
6．［已撤销］
7．本地报刊之注册
8．［已撤销］
9．［已撤销］
10．［已撤销］
11．提供不正确资料系不法行为
12．报刊注册登记册节录之认证本可被接纳为证据
13．推定为承印人
14．［已撤销］
15．东主、承印人、出版人及编辑之转承责任
16．令状之送达
17．将本地报刊若干份送交注册主任
18．规例
19．停止出版等事宜
20．罚则
21．附表之修订附表 不属于“报刊”定义范围内之刊物
本条例为本地报刊及通讯社之注册及报刊发行人之发牌以及有关事宜订立规定。
［1951年7月1日］
全文
1．简称
本条例定名为本地报刊注册条例。
2．释义
在本条例内，除按上下文另具意义者外，下开各词应解释如下——
“地址”对个别人士而言，指其本人之住址或其通常经营业务之地址；对法团而言，指该法团在香港之总办事处；
“违反”包括不遵守规定之事；
“编辑”一词如用于编辑人数超过1人者，指总编辑，并包括代总编辑或执行总编辑一般职务之人士；
“本地报刊”指在香港印行或出版之报刊；
“报刊”指为公众人士提供之任何报纸或其他刊物以及该等报纸或刊物之增刊，并——
（a）在其内刊登新闻、消息、时事或与该等新闻、消息、时事有关或与公众利益有关之任何评述、观察或议论；及
（b）印行或出版以供发售或免费赠阅，属于定期出版之报刊（不论是半年刊、季刊、月刊、双周刊、周刊、每日刊或非每日刊或属于分期或分号每相隔不超过6个月期间出版一次之报刊）；及
（c）不包括只刊登附表所列任何一个或多个项目之刊物。
“印刷品”包括附有文字、图画或符号之纸张、布块或其他类似物料，而该等文字、图画或符号全部或局部在香港采用或显然采用任何机器、电子仪器或其他复印机印制成，并加以钉装或按其他固定形式汇辑成集者；但并不包括——
（a）任何只拟用作及只真正用作一般商业、专业、社会或行政用途之文件；或
（b）任何由公共团体发出或使用之文件。
“东主”包括承租人。
“公共机构”一词之定义与《防止贿赂条例》（第201章）所载之定义相同。
“注册主任”指总督所委任之报刊注册主任，并包括总督所委任之报刊副注册主任。
3．（已撤销）
4．（已撤销）
5．（已撤销）
6．（已撤销）
7．本地报刊之注册
（1）凡本地报刊必须按照在第18条下制订之规例注册。
（1A）任何本地报刊根据第（1）款注册时，所用名称不得与另一本地报刊经予注册之名称相同。
（2）凡本地报刊之东主可随时通知注册主任要求终止该报刊之注册，注册主任在接获通知后必须取消该报刊之注册，而该报刊在取消注册之日起即终止注册。
8．（已撤销）
9．（已撤销）
10．（已撤销）
11．提供不正确资料系不法行为
倘本条例或在本条例下制订之规例规定须提供任何资料而为遵照该等规定所提供之资料乃不正确者，则认证该等资料为正确之人士应视为已触犯本条例之罪项，除非该人证明——
（a）其相信所提供之资料乃属正确者；及
（b）即使其尽合理程度之努力亦不能发现该等资料有不正确之处。
12．报刊注册登记册节录之认证本可被接纳为证据
在针对本地报刊之东主、承印人、出版人或编辑而提出之诉讼程序中，控诉人或原告可合法呈交注册主任根据第18条规定而制定之规例所设置之本地报刊注册登记册所载之任何项目或该登记册节录之认证本，用作——
（a）证明该项目或节录本所载资料乃属正确之证据；或
（b）证明该项目或节录本内所显示资料乃由声称提供及认证该等资料之提供人所提供及认证之证据。
13．推定为承印人
在任何诉讼程序中，除非能提出反证，否则凡名列于本地报刊或其他文件内为承印人之人士，应推定实际上为承印人。
14．（已撤销）
15．东主、承印人、出版人及编辑之转承责任
凡本地报刊东主、承印人、出版人或编辑或任何其他文件承印人受审时，构成其罪行之其中一个要素乃涉及在该本地报刊之任何一期或在该文件内所刊登之内容，应推定该期或该文件（按实际情况而定）所载之所有内容乃由被告人所刊登者，除非被告人证明所刊登之内容未获其授权、同意或为其不知情，以及证明并非由于其本人不小心或有欠谨慎所致。
16．令状之送达
在不影响可采用其他方法送达令状之情形下，凡发给任何本地报刊东主、承印人、出版人或编辑之民事或刑事令状，如已送交该本地报刊经登记之办事处地址内之成年人收讫，或以挂号邮递方式寄往该址，在各方面而言，即应视为已正式送达。
17．将本地报刊若干份送交注册主任
（1）凡本地报刊之出版人或承印人，须于该本地报刊每次出版之当日或翌日（假期除外），将已出版之该本地报刊及第2次版或其他修订版或再版各1份，送交或着人送交注册主任。
（2）根据第（1）款送交注册主任之每份本地报刊上须有该报刊承印人或出版人之亲笔签署、姓名及地址，或有该承印人或出版人委任或授权之其他人士之亲笔签署、姓名及地址，而该委任及授权事为已知会注册主任者。
（3）注册主任可将根据第（1）款送交其收讫之每份本地报刊保存一段不少于6个月期间，逾期后注册主任可将该报刊销毁或另作处置。
（1）任何人如需一份根据第17条第（1）款送交注册主任之本地报刊，在民事或刑事诉讼程序中呈堂充作证据，注册主任须着人将该份本地报刊呈交法庭，所需费用由申请人负担，或送交申请人，如该申请人已有合理担保，保证将该报刊交回。
（2）根据第（1）款呈堂或送交之本地报刊，得用作证明该报刊所载任何内容之足够明证。
（3）根据第（1）款呈堂或送交之本地报刊之东主、承印人、出版人或编辑，应视为与上述呈堂或送交之本地报刊具相同名称、宗旨或效果之所有本地报刊（轻微差异可不予理会）之东主、印刷人、出版人或编辑，除非该东主、承印人、出版人或编辑证明该本地报刊并非由其印行、出版或编辑或其对此事并不知情或未得其同意者。
18．规例
总督会同行政局可制订规例，规定下开事项——
（a）本地报刊及通讯社及其东主、承印人、出版人及编辑之注册以及为此目的而设置登记册事宜；
（b）可根据规例规定报刊发行人之发牌条件；
（c）禁止报刊由非持该种牌照之报刊发行人发行；
（d）对随报刊发行或夹附在报刊内发行非属该报刊整体部分之文件之管制；
（e）报刊发行人须向注册主任提供一份在香港以外地方印行或出版之报刊；
（f）（已撤销）
（g）规定为注册及领牌所须提供之资料，所须提供之资料之更改通知以及任何上述更改资料之生效或不生效所订立之程序及条件；
（h）据以确定所有本地报刊或其他印刷品之承印人身份及印行或出版时间之程序，特别是有关将承印人之姓名及地址印于本地报刊及其他印刷品上之规定；
（i）禁止编辑、印行、出版、持有及发行不符合在本条下制订之规例之本地报刊及其他印刷品；
（j）规定承印人须留下本地报刊及其他印刷品若干份，须在该等留下之本地报刊及其他印刷品上写明有关资料以及将该等留下之本地报刊及其他印刷品向指定之人士出示；
（k）（已撤销）
（l）批准豁免遵守本条例或在本条例下制订之任何规例之所有或任何条文；
（m）费用；
（n）表格；
（o）任何事项根据本条例乃须制订规例加以规定者。
19．停止出版等事宜
凡本地报刊停止出版或通讯社停止发布新闻稿为期不少于连续6个月者，其根据当时有效之任何规例作出之注册，应视为无效。
20．罚则
（1）任何人如触犯本条例之罪项——
（a）一经简易程序审讯定罪，可处罚款5000元及监禁1年；及
（b）一经公诉定罪，可处罚款15000元及监禁3年。
（2）本地报刊之每名承印人或出版人如违反第17条之规定，即有关将该本地报刊须送交注册主任之规定，一经简易程序审讯定罪，可处罚款1000元。
21．附表之修订
总督会同行政局可在宪报刊登公告，修订附表。
附表 不属于报刊定义范围内之刊物 （略）
REGISTRATION OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ORDINANCE
（CHAPTER 268）
CONTENTS
Section1. Short title2. Interpretation3——6. （Repealed）7. Registration of local newspapers8——10. （Repealed）11. Unlawful to furnish incorrect particulars12. Certified extract from local newspaper register to be admissible in
evidence13. Presumption as to printer14. （Repealed）15. Vicarious responsibility of proprietor, printer, publisher and editor16. Service of process17. Copies of local newspapers to be delivered to Registrar17A. Evidence for civil or criminal proceedings18. Regulations19. Cessation of publication, etc.20. Penalties21. Amendment of Schedule
Schedule Publications excluded from definition of newspaper
To provide for the registration of local newspapers and news agencies andthe licensing of newspaper distributors and for matters connectedtherewith.（Replaced 15 of 1987 s. 2）[1 July 1951] G. N. A. 114 of 1951
WHOLE DOCUMENT
1. Short titleThis Ordinance may be cited as the Registration of Local NewspapersOrdinance. （Amended 15 of 1987 s. 3）2. InterpretationIn this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires——“address” in the case of an individual means his residence or usual placeof business, and in the case of a corporation means the head office ofsuch corporation within Hong Kong； （Amended 15 of 1987 s. 4）“contravene” includes a failure to comply；“editor” means the chief editor if there are more editors than one, andincludes any person acting as chief editor or performing any of the usualfunctions of a chief editor；“local newspaper” means a newspaper printed or produced in Hong Kong；（Replaced 15 of 1987 s. 4）“newspaper” means any paper or other publication and any supplementthereto available to the general public which——（a） contains news, intelligence, occurrences or any remarks, observationsor comments in relation to such news, intelligence, or occurrences or toany other matter of public interest； and（b） is printed or produced for sale or free distribution and publishedeither periodically （whether half-yearly, quarterly, monthly, fortnightly,weekly, daily or otherwise） or in parts or numbers at intervals notexceeding 6 months； and（c） does not comprise exclusively any item or items specified in theSchedule； （Replaced 15 of 1987 s. 4）“printed document” includes every piece of paper, cloth or other similarmaterial, bearing any words, pictures or signs which were or appear tohave been wholly or partly produced by any mechanical, electrical or othercopying process in Hong Kong and the collection of such pieces of paper,cloth or other material in any bound or other permanent form but does notinclude——（a） any document solely intended and solely used for a bona fide andordinary commercial, professional, social or administrative purpose； or（b） any other document issued or used by any public body； （Replaced 15 of1987 s. 4. Amended 51 of 1988 s. 2）“proprietor” includes lessee；“public body” has the same meaning as it has in the Prevention of BriberyOrdinance （Cap. 201）； （Added 51 of 1988 s. 2）“Registrar” means such officer as may be appointed by the Governor to actas registrar of newspapers, and includes anyperson appointed by theGovernor to act as deputy registrar of newspapers.3——6. （Repealed 15 of 1987 s. 5）
7. Registration of local newspapers（1） Every local newspaper shall be registered in accordance withregulations made under section 18.（1A）No local newspaper shall be registered under subsection （1） by a namewhich is identical with the name by which another local newspaper isalready registered. （Added 51 of 1988 s. 3）（2） The proprietor of any local newspaper may at any time give notice tothe Registrar that he desires the registration of that local newspaper tocease and the Registrar shall, on the receipt of such notice, cancel theregistration of that local newspaper which shall cease to be registeredfrom the date of such cancellation. （Replaced 15 of 1987 s. 6）8——10. （Repealed 15 of 1987 s. 7）11. Unlawful to furnish incorrectparticularsWhere any particular is by this Ordinance or by any regulation madethereunder required to be furnished and any particular furnished byway ofcompliance with such requirement is incorrect, the person who certifiedthe correctness of such particular shall be deemed to have committed anoffence against this Ordinance unless he proves——（a） that he believed that the particular furnished was correct； and（b） that he could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence havediscovered its incorrectness.12. Certified extract from local newspaper register to be admissible inevidence Inany proceedings whatsoever against the proprietor, printer,publisher or editor of any local newspaper, it shall be lawful for thecomplainant or plaintiff to put in any entry in or certified extract fromany register of local newspapers kept by the Registrar in accordance withregulations made under section 18, either—— （Amended 15 of 1987 s. 8）（a） as evidence of the truth of the matters stated in such entry orextract； or（b） as evidence thatthe particulars appearing in such entry or extractwere furnished and certified by the informant by whom they purport to havebeen furnished and certified.13. Presumption as to printerIn any proceedings whatsoever it shall, unless the contrary is proved, bepresumed that the person whose name appears in any local newspaper orother document as the printer of that local newspaper or other document isin fact the printer.（Replaced 15 of 1987 s. 9）14. （Repealed 15 of 1987 s. 10）15. Vicarious responsibility of proprietor, printer, publisher and editorOn the trial of the proprietor, printer, publisher oreditor of any localnewspaper, or the printer of any other document, for any offence in whichan ingredient is the publication of matter contained in any issue of suchlocal newspaper or in such document, the accused person shall be presumedto have published all matter contained in such issue or in such document,as the case may be, unless he proves that the publication was made withouthis authority, consent or knowledge, and that the publication did notarise from want of the due care or caution on his part. （Replaced 57 of1955 s. 3. Amended 15 of 1987 s. 11）
16. Service of processWithout prejudice to any other method of service, any process whatsoever,civil or criminal, addressed to the proprietor,printer, publisher oreditor of any local newspaper shall for all purposes be deemed to be dulyserved if left with some adult at or sent by registered post to theregistered address of the office of the local newspaper.（Amended 15 of 1987 s. 12）17. Copies of local newspapers to be delivered to Registrar（1） The publisher or, failing him, the printer of every local newspapershall, on every day on which that local newspaper is published or on theday next following （other than a holiday）, deliver or cause to bedelivered to the Registrar a copy of that local newspaper and of everypublished second or other varied edition or impression thereof.（2） The copy of every local newspaper delivered to the Registrar undersubsection （1） shall bear the signature, full name and address of theprinter or publisher thereof or the signature, full name and address ofsome other person appointed and authorized by that printer or publisherfor that purpose and whose appointment and authority have been lodged withthe Registrar.（3） The Registrar shall keep in his possession the copy of every localnewspaper delivered to him under subsection （1） for a period of not lessthan 6 months after which time he may destroy or otherwise dispose of thatcopy.（Replaced 15 of 1987 s. 13）17A. Evidence for civil or criminal proceedings（1） Where any personrequires a copy of a local newspaper delivered to theRegistrar under section 17 （1） to be produced in evidence in any civil orcriminal proceedings, theRegistrar shall cause the copy of that localnewspaper to be produced in court at the expense of the person applyingfor it, or shall deliver the copy to that person taking reasonablesecurity for its return.（2） A copy of a local newspaper produced or delivered under subsection （1）shall be sufficient evidence of any matter or thing contained therein.（3） Every proprietor, printer, publisher or editor of a copy of a localnewspaper produced or delivered under subsection （1） shall be deemed to bethe proprietor, printer, publisher or editor respectively of all localnewspapers which are of the same title, purport or effect as the copy ofthe local newspaper so produced or delivered （any minor variations beingdisregarded） unless the proprietor, printer, publisher or editor provesthat those local newspapers were not printed, published or edited by himor with his knowledge or consent.（Added 15 of 1987 s. 13）
18. RegulationsThe Governor in Council may by regulation provide for——（a） the registration of local newspapers and news agencies and theirproprietors, printers, publishers and editors and the keeping of registersfor that purpose； （Replaced 15 of 1987 s. 14）（b） the licensing of newspaper distributors upon such conditions as may beprescribed by regulation；（c） the prohibition of the distribution of newspapers except by newspaperdistributors licensed for that purpose；（d） the regulation of the distribution with or in newspapers of documentsnot forming an integral part thereof；（e） the supply by newspaper distributors to the Registrar of a copy ofnewspapers printed or produced outside Hong Kong；（f） （Repealed 15 of 1987 s. 14）（g） the particulars to be furnished in connexion with registration orlicensing, notification of any change in the required particulars and themanner in which and theconditions upon which effect may be given orrefused to be given, to any such change；（h） the manner in which the identity of the printer of any local newspaperor other printed document and the time of printing or publication shall beestablished, and in particular for the printing of the printer's name andaddress on local newspapers and other printed documents；（i） the prohibition of the editing, printing, publication, possession anddistribution of local newspapers and other printed documents which do notcomply with the requirements of any regulations made pursuant to thissection；（j） the retention by the printer of copies of local newspapers and otherprinted documents, the particulars to be inscribed on such retained copiesand the production of retained copies to such persons as may beprescribed；（k） （Repealed 15 of 1987 s. 14）（l） granting exemption from all or any of the provisions of this Ordinanceor of any of the regulations made thereunder；（m） fees；（n） forms；（o） anything which is by this Ordinance to be provided by regulation.（Replaced 57 of 1955 s. 4. Amended 15 of 1987 s. 14）19. Cessation of publication, etc.If any local newspaper ceases publication, or any news agency ceases toissue bulletins, for a consecutive period of not less than 6 months, theregistration thereof under any regulations for the time being in forceshall be deemed to have lapsed. （Added 57 of 1955 s. 5. Amended 15 of1987 s. 15）
20. Penalties（1） Any person who commits an offence against this Ordinance shall beliable——（a） on summary conviction to a fine of $5,000 and to imprisonment for 1year； and（b） upon conviction on indictment to a fine of $15,000 and to imprisonmentfor 3 years.（2） Every printer or publisher of alocal newspaper who contravenes theprovisions of section 17 as to the delivery of copies of such localnewspaper at the office of the Registrar shall be liable on summaryconviction to a fine of $1,000. （Amended 15 of 1987 s. 16）21. Amendment of ScheduleThe Governor in Council may, by notice published in the Gazette, amend theSchedule. （Added 15 of 1987 s. 17）
SCHEDULE PUBLICATIONS EXCLUDED FROM DEFINITION OF NEWSPAPER
[SS. 2
21]Item Description1. Academic journals.2. Almanacs.3. Cartoons and comic strips.4. Collections of photographic images （with or without captions）.5. Commercial advertisements and commercial advertising circulars andbrochures.6. Commercial circulars.7. Company and partnership reports and company prospectuses.8. Consumer information and reports.9. Election pamphlets and posters.10. Financial, economic and statistical reports.11. Information sheets and newsletters relating to clubs, educationalinstitutions, professional associations, societies, trade unions and otherorganizations.12. Maps, charts and tables.13. Price lists.14. Public speeches and statements.15. Racing tips, racing form reports and other related materials.16. Religious materials.17. Sales catalogues.18. Sheet music.19. Trade catalogues and journals.20. Travel brochures.（Replaced 15 of 1987 s. 18）
