The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 1990 to 2025 Southeast Asia
Constitution Hong Kong, in 36 editions.
The entry for Hong Kong published Constitution in 36 editions of 36, from 1990 to 2025. The text changed in 19 editions. Each is shown as published. Constitution in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 19
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Constitution” (1990 to 2025).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2025 edition
Changed since 2024unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
- unwritten;
- partly statutes, partly common law and practice;
- new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
The same text in 1992 and 1993.
- unwritten;
- partly statutes, partly common law and practice;
- new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law
approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
- unwritten;
- partly statutes, partly common law and practice;
- new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law
Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
- unwritten;
- partly statutes, partly common law and practice;
- new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
practice; new Basic
- unwritten;
- partly statutes, partly common law and practice;
- new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for
1997
- the Letters Patent together with the Royal Instructions form the written constitution of Hong Kong;
- new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for scheduled reversion to China on 1 July 1997
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and the Letters Patent together with the Royal Instructionspractice; form the written constitution of Hong Kong; new Basic Law approved in
March 1990 in preparation for scheduled reversion to China on 1 July
1997
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Rewritten: too little of the 1997 text remains to mark the changes.
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National
People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National
National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
The same text in 5 editions, 2000 to 2004.
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's
The same text in 5 editions, 2005 to 2009.
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Basic Law Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" charter
The same text in 2011 and 2012.
The Basic Law, approved March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
The Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
The same text in 3 editions, 2013 to 2015.
- several previous (governance documents while under British authority);
- latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, promulgated 4 April 1990 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution);
- note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2013)
Rewritten: too little of the 2012 text remains to mark the changes.
several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, promulgated 4 April 1990 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2013)
- several previous (governance documents while under British authority);
- latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution);
- note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2016)
several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, promulgated 4 April 1990 effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2013) (2016)
- several previous (governance documents while under British authority);
- latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution);
- note - since 1990, the PRC National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2016)
several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's the PRC National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2016)
- history:
- several previous (governance documents while under British authority);
- latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution);
- note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law
- amendments:
- proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong;
- submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two-thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive;
- final passage requires approval by the NPC
history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, the PRC China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2016)
amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two-thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC
The same text in 2019 and 2020.
- history:
- several previous (governance documents while under British authority);
- latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution);
- note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law
- amendments:
- proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong;
- submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive;
- final passage requires approval by the NPC
history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law
amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two-thirds two thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC
The same text in 4 editions, 2021 to 2024.
- history:
- several previous (governance documents while under British authority);
- latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution);
- note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law
- amendments:
- proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, or the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong;
- submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive;
- final passage requires approval by the NPC
history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law
amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and or the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC
- history:
- several previous (governance documents while under British authority);
- latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution)
- amendment process:
- proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, or the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong;
- submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive;
- final passage requires approval by the NPC
note: since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law
history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law constitution)amendments: amendment process: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, or the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC
note: since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Hong Kong: Constitution.” The World Factbook, 1990–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/hong-kong/constitution.