“Our initial plan … is to allow legislators to hold unofficial meetings online where they can invite officials to explain the policies.”

Pro-mainland Chinese financiers launch new Hong Kong party aimed at Legco reform

Unofficial meetings would neither be regulated by the legislature’s rule book nor covered by the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance, he said.

The ordinance ostensibly protects lawmakers’ freedom of speech and debate in the chamber and during committee proceedings, and ensures what they say cannot be targeted in civil or criminal proceedings, though it has also been used in the past to prosecute members of the opposition for their behaviour in the legislature. The privileges and immunities are extended to the chief executive, if present, and any public officers the leader designates to attend meetings.

“I believe many lawmakers’ speeches do not necessarily need to be protected anyway,” Leung said, adding they had generally responded positively to the videoconferencing idea.

The public would be allowed to watch the meetings, which will also be recorded but no simultaneous translation will be provided.

The Civic Party’s Jeremy Tam Man-ho, one of the resigned lawmakers, maintained the plan for online meetings was “absurd and unacceptable”.

“If the meetings are not regulated by the laws, it may adversely allow government officials to lie at meetings without any legal consequences,” Tam said.

Finance Committee chairman Chan Kin-por said policy briefings would be the first to move online. The Secretariat would send a letter to all panel chairmen on Thursday and request they inform other members three days in advance for such meetings.

“This would mean the first online meeting could be carried out on Monday, if officials and lawmakers are ready,” Chan said. It could be followed by proceedings of panels and bills committees, but legal advisers would first need to sort out problems linked to quorum requirements and the privileges ordinance.

Hong Kong’s Democratic Party elects youngest-ever chairman, other fresh faces

Amendments might be required to Legco’s rules of procedure before formal panel meetings could be held virtually, he conceded. He also admitted that carrying out votes might be challenging using the Zoom platform.

Pro-establishment lawmaker Elizabeth Quat, chairwoman of the health services panel, said she planned to hold a meeting next Wednesday to discuss pandemic prevention measures and the supply of a vaccine.

“If the epidemic becomes more severe, we would not rule out using Zoom for meetings,” she said. “But members would not be allowed to move motions in these informal meetings, as voting is not supported by this online meeting format.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way many parliaments across the globe work. Online meetings and proxy voting have been introduced in some countries upended by the health crisis, including the United States and Britain.

Lawmakers approve HK$550 million funding for Lantau megaproject study

The Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives adopted emergency proxy voting and remote hearings in May. Ahead of a vote, a lawmaker can designate another member as his or her proxy by writing to the House clerk in advance. A proxy member can cast votes for up to 10 colleagues.

The British Parliament adopted the use of Zoom in April, allowing members to attend meetings either in the chamber or online. An unprecedented virtual Prime Minister’s Questions, when MPs put queries to the leader, was held in April.

South Korea’s National Assembly has also used video conferencing for meetings occasionally, although most did not involve voting. On November 9, the assembly held a debate over amendments relating to taxes via video conference.