The new Hong Kong Companies Ordinance 2012 : so near and yet so far

On July 12,2012, the Hong Kong (HK) Legislative Council passed the new Hong Kong Companies Ordinance(CO). It is the first time the statute has been completed revamped since 1984. The new Ordinance is double the length of the previous one. It represents one of the HK Government’s major concerted efforts in recent years to reform HK law. This article is not aimed at discussing the changes brought by the new statute. Rather, it will discuss the missing issues the Ordinance should have addressed. It is submitted that these missing issues are so important that they could cripple a person’s understanding of the new statute, no matter how well it is otherwise drafted. With these missing issues, the new statute seems far removed from the grasp of ordinary laymen