Cap 340 - ANIMALS (CONTROL OF EXPERIMENTS) ORDINANCE 1

Chapter: 340 ANIMALS (CONTROL OF EXPERIMENTS)
ORDINANCE

Gazette Number Version Date


Long title 30/06/1997


To provide for the control of experiments on living vertebrate animals.


[24 May 1963]

(Originally 18 of 1963)

Section: 1 Short title 30/06/1997


This Ordinance may be cited as the Animals (Control of Experiments) Ordinance.

Section: 2 Interpretation 30/06/1997


In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires-
"academic institution" (學術機構) includes universities, university colleges, hospitals, medical schools, agricultural

colleges, farm schools, and any other similar institutions;
"animal" (動物) means a living vertebrate animal;
"experiment" (實驗) means any experiment performed on an animal and calculated to give pain;
"Licensing Authority" (發牌當局) means the Director of Health; (Amended L.N. 76 of 1989)
"licensee" (持牌人) means a person licensed under section 7.

Section: 3 Performance of experiments only by licensees 30/06/1997


(1) No person except a licensee shall perform any experiment.
(2) No licensee shall perform any experiment except in accordance with the terms of his licence and subject to

the restrictions imposed by this Ordinance.
(3) Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence. (Added 12

of 1964 s. 2)

Section: 4 Prohibition against performing experiments to attain

manual skill
30/06/1997



(1) Except under and in accordance with an endorsement made under section 8, no licensee shall perform any
experiment for the purpose of attaining manual skill.

(2) Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence. (Added 12
of 1964 s. 3)

Section: 5 Prohibition of performance of experiments for illustration

of lectures except as specified in permit
30/06/1997



(1) Except under and in accordance with a teaching permit issued under section 9, no licensee shall perform
any experiment for the purpose of illustrating any lecture at any academic institution.

(2) Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence. (Added 12
of 1964 s. 4)

Section: 6 Restrictions upon performance of experiments by licensee 30/06/1997


(1) Except as otherwise provided in sections 4 and 5, no licensee shall perform any experiment except-
(a) for the purpose of the advancement by new discovery of physiological knowledge, or of any



Cap 340 - ANIMALS (CONTROL OF EXPERIMENTS) ORDINANCE 2

knowledge which will be useful for saving or prolonging life, or alleviating suffering, or for combating
any disease whether of human beings, animals or plants;

(b) for the purpose of testing any former discovery alleged to have been made for the advancement of the
types of knowledge referred to in paragraph (a);

(c) by the order in writing of any judge or district judge in any case where such judge is satisfied that it is
essential for the purpose of justice in a criminal case to make such experiment.

(2) Except under and in accordance with and endorsement made under section 10, no licensee shall perform
any experiment unless-

(a) throughout the whole of the experiment the animal is under the influence of some anaesthetic of
sufficient power to prevent the animal feeling pain; and

(b) if the pain is likely to continue after the effect of the anaesthetic has ceased, or if any serious injury has
been inflicted on the animal, the animal is killed before it recovers from the influence of the
anaesthetic which has been administered.

(3) Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence. (Added 12
of 1964 s. 5)

Section: 7 Grant of licences 30/06/1997


(1) The Licensing Authority may grant a licence to any person to perform any experiment for any purpose
specified in such licence during such period and subject to such conditions, in addition to the conditions specified in
this Ordinance, as he may think fit.

(2) It shall be a condition of any licence granted under subsection (1) that any experiment performed pursuant
to such licence shall be performed at such place as may be specified in such licence.

Section: 8 Endorsements to enable performance of experiments for

manual skill
30/06/1997



Where the Licensing Authority is satisfied that it is desirable, he may, by endorsement of any licence, authorize
the holder thereof to perform experiments for the purpose of attaining manual skill during such period and subject to
such conditions as the Licensing Authority may think fit.

Section: 9 Grant of permits 30/06/1997


(1) Where the Licensing Authority is satisfied that it is absolutely necessary for the due instruction of persons
attending any lectures for the purpose of acquiring physiological knowledge or any knowledge which will be used for
saving or prolonging life, or alleviating suffering, or for combating any disease whether of human beings, animals or
plants, for any such lecture to be illustrated by the performance of any experiment, the Licensing Authority may grant
to a licensee a teaching permit to perform any experiment for the purpose of illustrating such lecture.

(2) Every teaching permit granted under subsection (1) shall be subject to such conditions, in addition to any
conditions specified in this Ordinance, as may be specified in such permit, and such permit shall remain in force for
twelve months from the date on which it is granted.

Section: 10 Endorsements to enable performance of experiments

without anaesthetics, etc.
30/06/1997



Where the Licensing Authority is satisfied that the object of any experiment or series of experiments permitted
to be performed by a licensee would necessarily be frustrated-

(a) by the performance of such experiment under any anaesthetic; or
(b) by killing the animal on which such experiment is performed before it recovers from the influence of

any anaesthetic,
he may, by endorsement of any licence, authorize the holder to perform such experiment or series of experiments
without administering any anaesthetic to the animal or without killing the animal before it recovers from the influence
of such anaesthetic, as the case may be, during such period and subject to such conditions as the Licensing Authority
may think fit.



Cap 340 - ANIMALS (CONTROL OF EXPERIMENTS) ORDINANCE 3


Section: 11 Duty to keep records and to permit inspections 30/06/1997


(1) Every licensee shall keep, in such form as may be prescribed, records of all experiments performed by him.
(2) Every licensee shall permit any medical or health officer authorized in writing by the Licensing Authority

for the purpose to inspect any records kept by him at any time between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day other than a
Sunday or public holiday.

(3) Every licensee shall permit any person authorized in writing as aforesaid to enter and inspect, for the
purpose of securing compliance with the provisions of this Ordinance, any place specified in such licensee's licence
for the performance of experiments.

(4) Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be
liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500 and to imprisonment for 3 months. (Added 12 of 1964 s. 6)

Section: 12 Duty to render returns 30/06/1997


(1) Every licensee shall render to the Licensing Authority in such form and at such time as may be prescribed
such returns as may be required in relation to any experiments performed by the licensee.

(2) Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be
liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500 and to imprisonment for 3 months. (Added 12 of 1964 s. 7)

Section: 13 Power to make regulations L.N. 130 of 2007 01/07/2007


Remarks:
For the saving and transitional provisions relating to the amendments made by the Resolution of the Legislative
Council (L.N. 130 of 2007), see paragraph (12) of that Resolution.


(1) The Secretary for Food and Health may make regulations generally for the better carrying out of the

provisions of this Ordinance. (Amended L.N. 106 of 2002; L.N. 130 of 2007)
(2) Regulations made under subsection (1) may, without prejudice to the generality of the power conferred by

subsection (1), provide-
(a) for the keeping of records of all experiments performed by any licensee;
(b) for the rendering of returns in relation to any experiments performed under this Ordinance; and
(c) that the contravention of any regulation shall constitute an offence and may prescribe penalties for any

offence not exceeding a fine of five hundred dollars and imprisonment for six months.
(3) The Director of Health may by regulation specify forms to be used as regards applications or any matter or

thing done or to be done under this Ordinance and any regulations made under this section. (Added 80 of 1997 s. 19)
(4) Subsection (1) shall not be construed as enabling the Secretary for Food and Health to make regulations as

regards any matter in relation to which regulations may be made under subsection (3). (Added 80 of 1997 s. 19.
Amended L.N. 106 of 2002; L.N. 130 of 2007)

(Amended 80 of 1997 s. 19)

Section: 14 Cancellation of licence or permit 30/06/1997


(1) It shall be a condition of every licence, permit or endorsement granted or made under the provisions of this
Ordinance that such licence, permit or endorsement may be cancelled at any time by the Licensing Authority on his
being satisfied that such licence or permit ought to be cancelled. (Amended 6 of 1994 s. 59)

(2) Notice in writing of any cancellation under subsection (1), containing a statement of the reasons therefor,
shall be served by the Licensing Authority either personally or by registered post on the holder of the licence or permit
to whom the cancellation relates. (Added 6 of 1994 s. 59)

Section: 15 General penalties 30/06/1997


Any person who is guilty of an offence under section 3, 4, 5 or 6 shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine
of $1000 and to imprisonment for 6 months.



Cap 340 - ANIMALS (CONTROL OF EXPERIMENTS) ORDINANCE 4

(Replaced 12 of 1964 s. 8)

Section: 16 Restriction of prosecutions L.N. 362 of 1997 01/07/1997


Except by or with the consent of the Secretary for Justice, a prosecution under this Ordinance shall not be
instituted.

(Amended L.N. 362 of 1997)

Section: 17 Appeals 30/06/1997


(1) Any person aggrieved by a refusal to issue a licence, endorsement or permit under section 7, 8, 9 or 10, or
the cancellation of a licence, permit or endorsement under section 14 may, within 28 days from the date when he was
informed of the decision, appeal to the Administrative Appeals Board.

(2) The cancellation of a licence, permit or endorsement that is appealed against under subsection (1) shall be
suspended in its operation as from the day on which the appeal is made until such appeal is disposed of, withdrawn or
abandoned unless such suspension would, in the opinion of the Licensing Authority, be contrary to the public interest
and the notice of the cancellation contains a statement to that effect.

(Replaced 6 of 1994 s. 59)