Human Reproductive Technology (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 to come into effect on January 3, 2017
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The Council on Human Reproductive Technology (CHRT) today (December 28) reminded the trade and stakeholders concerned that the Human Reproductive Technology (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 (the Amendment Ordinance) will come into effect on January 3, 2017. The Amendment Ordinance prohibits the advertising, in all media including the Internet, of sex selection services through reproductive technology (RT) procedures.
At present, section 15(3) of the Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance (Cap 561) prohibits the use of RT procedures to select the sex of babies except for medical reasons to avoid the birth of a child suffering from a serious sex-linked genetic disease.
"With effect from January 3, 2017, the publishing or distributing, or causing to be published or distributed, of an advertisement promoting sex selection services through RT procedures, in the course of a business, whether or not the services are provided in Hong Kong, is a criminal offence. Any person who contravenes the offence is liable, on a first conviction, to a fine of $20,000 and imprisonment for six months, and on a subsequent conviction, to a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years," a spokesman for the CHRT said.
"In recent years, we have observed an increase in local advertisements and leaflets promoting sex selection services available in other countries. This has also caused concern of the medical profession, which requested such promotional activities be stopped and prohibited by law," the spokesman said.
The Amendment Ordinance was passed by the Legislative Council in June 2016 and will come into effect on January 3, 2017.
Ends/Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Issued at HKT 14:00
Issued at HKT 14:00
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