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Historical Values
Year Value
1990 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
1991 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
1992 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
1993 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
1994 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
1995 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
1996 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
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
1998 Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
1999 Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2000 Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2001 Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2002 Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2003 Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2004 Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2005 Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2006 Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2007 Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2008 Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2009 Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
2010 Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
2011 The Basic Law, approved March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
2012 The Basic Law, approved March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
2013 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)
2014 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)
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)
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 National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2016)
2017 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)
2018 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 Repu
2019 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 Repu
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 Repu
2021 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 Republ
2022 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 Republ
2023 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 Republ
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 Republ
2025 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 proposal