Legislative Council Annual Report 2018-2019

President's Foreword The Legislative Council ("LegCo") sailed through an eventful and turbulent 2018-2019 legislative session and I report its work with a heavy heart. The introduction of the controversial Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 ("the Fugitive Offenders Bill") into LegCo on 3 April 2019 set off the aborted legislative process. With the avowed objective to tackle a homicide case that occurred in Taiwan in early 2018 involving a Hong Kong resident as the suspect, the Fugitive Offenders Bill sought to amend two ordinances to strengthen Hong Kong's cooperation mechanism with other jurisdictions in criminal and juridical assistance matters. Inaccordancewith theRulesof Procedure ("RoP"), after adjournment of theSecond Reading debate on the Fugitive Offenders Bill, a Bills Committee was formed to consider the Bill. While Bills Committees have all along been an effective platform for Members to scrutinize the general merits and principles as well as the detailed provisions of bills, it was regrettable that, for the first time in our history, the Bills Committee on the Fugitive Offenders Bill could not elect its chairman after four meetings held in April and May due to serious disruptions made by some Members who opposed the Fugitive Offenders Bill. After the House Committee ("HC") had rescinded its decision to form the Bills Committee, the Secretary for Security issued a letter proposing to resume the Second Reading debate on the Fugitive Offenders Bill at the Council meeting of 12 June. Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen, President of the Legislative Council. 2 Legislative Council Annual Report 2018-2019