Asia's First Apology Bill Passed

After the 2012 Lamma ferry disaster, the idea for "apology legislation" arose when the Director of the Marine Department apologised eight months after the incident. The Director explained that he had to seek legal advice beforehand to avoid potential problems arising from a public apology. Subsequently, a Steering Committee was set up to consider the possibility of introducing apology legislation in Hong Kong.

On 13 July 2017, the Hong Kong Legislative Council ("LegCo") passed the Apology Bill (the "Bill") by 46-2 votes. Hong Kong has become the first jurisdiction in Asia to enact apology legislation. It is expected that the Bill will be gazetted 21 days after the passing of the Bill, and it will be effective once it is gazetted.