Five property owners fined over $323,000 for failing to comply with building removal orders in Hong Kong.

Five property owners fined over $320,000 in total for not complying with removal orders

Five owners were convicted and fined $323,170 in total at the Magistrates' Courts yesterday (November 11) for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

The first case involved unauthorised retaining wall and backfill works at a detached house on Sha Tin Heights Road. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD and was fined $109,920, of which $99,920 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Shatin Magistrates' Courts.

The second case involved an unauthorised structure on the roof of a village house on a lot in D.D. 183, Sha Tin. Since the Lands Department would not issue a certificate of exemption for the UBWs and the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the BD, a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner had been prosecuted by the BD and was fined upon conviction by the court. As the owner persisted in not complying with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted for a second time and was fined $97,480, of which $62,480 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Shatin Magistrates' Courts.

The third case involved unauthorised structures on the yard and the flat roof on the cockloft at a composite building on Tsuen Nam Road, Sha Tin. As the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the BD, a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner had been prosecuted by the BD and was fined upon conviction by the court. As the owner persisted in not complying with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted for a second time and was fined $65,770, of which $42,770 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Shatin Magistrates' Courts.

The fourth case involved UBWs in a unit of a composite building on Castle Peak Road Tsing Lung Tau, Tusen Wan, including removal of fixed lights on the external walls of the living room and master bedroom, and erection of railings attached to the flower beds. As the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the BD, a removal order was served on the two co-owners under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, they were prosecuted by the BD and were fined $50,000 in total, upon conviction at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts.

A spokesman for the BD said today (November 12), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take stringent enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety."

Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.

Source: AI-found images

Education (Amendment) Bill 2026 to be gazetted tomorrow

The Government will gazette the Education (Amendment) Bill 2026 tomorrow (November 13), with the aim of enhancing the teacher registration mechanism by imposing practising certificate requirements, and introducing a mechanism to handle matters of teacher registration for persons convicted of offences endangering national security (OENS), to ensure that all teachers are fit and proper persons, thereby upholding the professionalism of the teaching force.

A spokesman for the Education Bureau (EDB) said that the EDB made reference to the teacher registration systems in various jurisdictions and the registration and practising certificate requirements of different professions in Hong Kong, and considered that imposing a practising certificate requirement as a prerequisite for teaching, in addition to the existing statutory requirement for teacher registration, could elevate society's recognition of the education profession and raise the social status of teachers.

The Bill will establish statutory requirements for all teachers (including principals) of publicly-funded schools, private schools, international schools and kindergartens to possess teacher registration and practising certificates to serve in schools, with a view to ensuring the quality of teachers. The validity period of a practising certificate will be no more than three school years. The Bill will also set out the requirements for applying for practising certificates. Among these, there will be a mandatory continuing professional development requirement for teachers to obtain practising certificates, thus ensuring that all teachers keep abreast of the latest global and local educational policies, and that their knowledge and pedagogy align with students' and societal needs, to further enhance the professionalism of the teaching force.

The EDB spokesman said, "As role models and key persons for nurturing students, the words and deeds, conduct and values of teachers have a profound impact on students. Amid the complex and rapidly changing development of our society, the public and parents have increasingly high expectations of teachers' professionalism. The Bill meets schools' actual operational needs, encourages teachers to keep pace with the times and strengthens teacher management, with the ultimate goal of safeguarding the well-being of students."

The Bill also puts in place safeguards to prevent persons convicted of OENS from teaching in schools to effectively protect students, uphold the professional integrity of teachers and maintain public confidence in the teaching profession.

The EDB has consulted the sector since September 2025 and the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Education on February 6 this year. The legislative proposal was generally supported by stakeholders and LegCo Members.

The Bill will be introduced into the LegCo for First Reading and Second Reading on November 25. The EDB will fully support the work of the LegCo in scrutinising the Bill and look forward to the LegCo's support for and passage of the Bill.

For details of the Bill, please refer to the EDB webpage (www.edb.gov.hk/eo_amendments_2026/en).

Source: AI-found images