Hong Kong Letters Patent 1954

ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

To all to whom these Presents shall some, Greeting!

WHEREAS by certain Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm bearing date the fourteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventeen (hereinafter called “the Principal Letters Patent”), as amended by Letters Patent specified in the Schedule to these Presents, the Office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Colony of Hong Kong and its Dependencies was constituted and provision was made for the government thereof:

AND WHEREAS We are minded further to amend the provisions of the principal Letters Patent in manner hereinafter appearing:

NOW KNOW YE that We do hereby declare Our will and pleasure as follows :-

1.	(1) These Our Letters may be cited as the Hong Kong Letters Patent, 1954, and shall be construed as one with the Principal Letters Patent.

(2) The principal Letters Patent may be cited as the Hong Kong Letters Patent, 1917, and the Letters Patent specified in the Schedule to these Presents may be cited by the respective titles given in that Schedule.

(3) The principal Letters Patent, the Letters Patent specified in the Schedule to these Presents and these Our Letters may be cited together as the Hong Kong Letters Patent, 1917 to 1954.

(4) These Our Letters shall be published in the Hong Kong Government Gazette and shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by the Governor by Proclamation published in the Gazette.

2.	The Principal Letters Patent shall be amended by the insertion after Article XIV thereof the following new Article-

“Concurrent appointment. XIVA. (1) When the holder of the Office of Governor or of any office constituted under Article XIV of these Letters Patent is on leave of absence pending relinquishment of his office, it shall be lawful for another person to be appointed substantively to the same office.

(2) When two of more persons are holding the same office by reason of an appointment made pursuant to paragraph (1) of this Article, then for the purposes of Articles XVII and XVIIA of these Letters Patent and for the purpose of any function conferred upon the holder of that office, the person last appointed to the office shall be deemed to be the holder of the office.”

3.	We do hereby reserve to Ourselves, Our Heirs and Successors, full power to amend or revoke these Presents.

In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

Witness Ourself at Westminster this nineteenth day of January, in the third year of Our Reign.

BY WARRANT under The Queen’s Sign Manual.