Computer Crimes Ordinance

The main piece of legislation which has been introduced against computer related crime is the Computer Crimes Ordinance. Enacted in 1993, it has, through amending the Telecommunications Ordinance (Cap. 106), Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200) and Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210), created some new offences and broadened the coverage of existing offences, as follows:

Table showing related computer crimes ordinance

Law	Provisions	Maximum Penalty
Telecommunications Ordinance S. 27A, Cap. 106	prohibiting unauthorised access to computer by telecommunication	Fine of $20,000
Crimes Ordinance S. 59, Cap. 200	extending the meaning of property to include any program or data held in a computer or in computer storage medium	Not applicable
Crimes Ordinance S. 59 and 60, Cap. 200	extending the meaning of criminal damage to property to misuse of a computer program or data	10 years' imprisonment
Crimes Ordinance S. 85, Cap. 200	extending the meaning of making false entry in bank book to falsification of the books of account kept at any bank in electronic means	Life imprisonment
Crimes Ordinance S. 161, Cap. 200	prohibiting access to computer with criminal or dishonest intent	5 years' imprisonment
Theft Ordinance S. 11, Cap. 210	extending the meaning of burglary to include unlawfully causing a computer to function other than as it has been established and altering, erasing or adding any computer program or data	14 years' imprisonment
Theft Ordinance S. 19, Cap. 210	extending the meaning of false accounting to include destroying, defacing, concealing or falsifying records kept by computer	10 years' imprisonment

Source: Inter-departmental Working Group on Computer Related Crime Report