ESSENTIAL SERVICES CORPS ORDINANCE
Title
ESSENTIAL SERVICES CORPS ORDINANCE
Description
CHAPTER 197.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES CORPS.
To provide for the establishment of an Essential Services
Corps.
[9th December, 1949.]
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Essential
Services Corps Ordinance.
2. In this Ordinance-
'Corps' means the Essential Services Corps
'essential service' means any service declared to be an
essential service in accordance with the provisions of
section 3 ;
'member of the Corps' or 'member' means every person
who has enrolled in the Essential Services Corps and
whose enrolment has not been cancelled.
3. (1) The services specified in the Schedule shall be
essential services to which the provisions of this Ordinance
apply.
(2) The Governor may, from time to time, by order
published in the Gazette, make addition to the Schedule.
4. It shall be lawful for the Governor to raise and
maintain a body, of persons by voluntary enrolment, to assist
in the maintenance or the performance of essential services,
to be known as the Essential Services Corps, consisting of
such persons as may, in accordance with regulations made
by the Governor or under the provisions of any enactment,
undertake to serve therein, and be accepted for service in
such Corps.
5. The Corps may be raised and maintained at the
expense of the Colony out of moneys provided by the
Legislative Council.
6. The Corps may consist of such units or sub-units
as may be prescribed and upon the formation of one or more
such units the Corps shall be deemed to be established under
the provisions of this Ordinance.
7. (1) The Governor may by regulations provide in
genera) for any matter relating to the Corps and in particular
for---
(a)the procedure for enrolirient in the Corps and for
cancellation of enrolment;
(b) the period for which persons inay be enrolled;
(c)the organization including sub-division and govern-
ment of the Corps and the discipline of its members;
(d)the duties and obligations attaching to membership
of the Corps and the powers, privileges, pay and
benefits conferred by membership;
(e)the training of members of the Corps and the
provision of clothing, equipment and other stores;
and --
the calling out of members for actual service.
(2) Any regulations so rnade may apply either to the
Corps as a whole or to any unit or sub-unit of the Corps:
Provided that no regulation shall require a member, unless
called out for actual service, either to give full-time service
or to live away from his home.
8. Every member of the Corps authorized in that behalf
by regulations made under section 7 shall, when called out
for actual service, have the same powers for the preservation
of the peace, the prevention of offences, the apprehension of
offenders and for all other purposes, and the sarne privileges,
protection and immunities as the members of the police
force except as to pay and pension or other reward. In
addition to these powers the Governor mav, by regulations
made under section 7, confer on members of the Corps
authorized as aforesaid, when called out for actual service,
such further powers as the Governor may deem necessary
for the proper performance of their duties.
9. Every member of the Corps who, in good faith,
purports to act in the exercise of any power conferred by
sections 7 and 8 hereof, shall be and is hereby indemnified
and discharged from any indictment, penalty, action or other
proceeding for so doing.
10. Every person who, at the date of the commencement
of this Ordinance, is a member of the Essential Services
Wing of the Auxiliary Force of the Defence Force shall be
deemed to be a member of the Corps unless he elects to
continue to serve in the Defence Force.
11. (1) Any person, not being a member of the Corps
who-
(a) has in his possession any article being part of the
clothing, accoutrements or appointments supplied to
any
member of the Corps and is not able satisfac-
torily to account for his possession thereof;
(b) puts on the dress or takes the name, designation
or character of any member of the Corps for the
purpose of thereby obtaining admission into any
house or other place or of doing or procuring to be
done any act which any such member would be
entitled to do or procure to be done of his own
authority, or for any other unlawful purpose;
shall, in addition to any other punishment to which he may
be liable for such offence, be liable on summary conviction
to a fine of five thousand dollars and to imprisonment for a
term of two years.
(2) If any person knowingly buys or takes in exchange
or in pawn from any member of the Corps or any person
acting on his behalf, or solicits or entices any such member
to sell or pawn any article being part of the clothing,
accoutrements or appointments supplied to any member of
the Corps, such person shall be liable, on summary convic-
tion, to a fine of five thousand dollars and to imprisonment
for a terin of two years.
SCHEDULE [s. 3.]
The administration of government;
The administration of justice;
The administration of the prisons;
The control and operation of civil aviation;
The dissemination of information to the public;
The extraction and distribution of coal-gas;
The generation and distribution of electricity;
The maintenance of facilities for banking and public finance;
The maintenance of communications including telecommunica-
tions and the postal service;
The maintenance of the firefighting services;
The maintenance of medical, health and sanitary services;
The operation of land and water transport;
The operation of the Poyt.,
The operation of the Royal Observatory;
The performance of emergency public works;
The procurement storage and distribution of foodstuffs;
The procurement storage and distribution of lubricating and
fuel oils;
The procurement storage and distribution of government stores;
The storage and distribution of fresh water.
51 of 1949. Short title. Interpretation. Essential services. Application of Ordinance. Power of Governor to raise the Corps. Financial provision. Establishment of Corps. Power of Governor to make regulations. [s. 7 cont.] Powers, etc. , of member of the Corps. Indemnity. Transfer of members of Essential Services Wing of the Auxiliary Force. Improper possession of arms or clothing, or assumption of character of member of the Corps.
Abstract
51 of 1949. Short title. Interpretation. Essential services. Application of Ordinance. Power of Governor to raise the Corps. Financial provision. Establishment of Corps. Power of Governor to make regulations. [s. 7 cont.] Powers, etc. , of member of the Corps. Indemnity. Transfer of members of Essential Services Wing of the Auxiliary Force. Improper possession of arms or clothing, or assumption of character of member of the Corps.
Identifier
https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/2013
Edition
1950
Volume
v4
Subsequent Cap No.
197
Number of Pages
3
Files
Collection
Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online
Citation
“ESSENTIAL SERVICES CORPS ORDINANCE,” Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online, accessed January 1, 2025, https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/2013.