The Branch shall continue to be called the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (East Asia Branch). The Branch is based in and shall cover the geographic area of the Hong Kong SAR. The Branch also will cover and represent the Institute in Mainland China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and other territories as agreed from time to time.
In these Rules:
"the Board of Management" means the Board of Management of the Institute, appointed by the Board of Trustees in accordance with Bye-law 5;
"the Board of Trustees " means the Board of Trustees of the Institute;
"the Branch" means the East Asia Branch of the Institute;
"the Bye-laws" means the Bye-laws of the Institute and any reference to a Bye-law shall be construed accordingly;
"Chapter" is a subsection of a Branch of the Institute, formed to further the Object of the Institute at its local level;
"international" means outside England and Wales.
"the Institute" means The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators;
"the Rules" means these Rules, and any reference to a rule shall be construed accordingly;
"seat of the Branch" means the place designated from time to time by the Branch Committee;
"the Strategic Review" means the document drafted by the Director General reviewing the development and growth of the Chartered Institute over the next five years, as originally approved and adopted by Council on 19 September 2000, or such further or later Strategic Review documents as may be adopted by the Board of Trustees hereafter.
3. Status and Objects of East Asia Branch
| 3.1. | The objects of the Branch are to promote, advance and facilitate education as follows: | |
| 3.1.1. | To advance, promote and facilitate the determination of disputes by arbitration and alternative means of dispute resolution, so that the community is given a choice of dispute resolution mechanisms and the consequent advantage of more appropriate, speedy or cost-effective resolution of disputes. | |
| 3.1.2. | To advance, promote and facilitate education and training on arbitration and alternative means of dispute resolution. | |
| 3.1.3. | To expand the scope of arbitration and alternative means of dispute resolution by continuing to identify areas of commerce and industry where there is likely to be a growing demand for a choice of dispute resolution mechanisms. | |
| 3.1.4. | To promote improvements in the practice and procedure of arbitration and alternative means of dispute resolution. | |
| 3.2. | As from 30th April 2004 the East Asia Branch of the Chartered Institute hereby elects to be assigned to Group D in the global groupings of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. | |
| 3.3. | Assignment to Group D provides the Branch with the following obligations: | |
| 3.3.1. | Pursue the charitable objectives of the Branch. | |
| 3.3.2. | Uphold the professional standards of the Branch and the Institute in the conduct of charitable activities. | |
| 3.3.3. | Put into effect programmes with the aim of increasing membership by more than 10% annually. | |
| 3.3.4. | Report annually to Branch members and Institute members on the Branch's activities and forthcoming goals. | |
| 3.3.5. | Compile monthly financial statements for review by the Branch Committee and the Institute. | |
| 3.3.6. | Run educational training courses on dispute resolution to enhance and maintain standards of service to the general community. | |
| 4.1. | Subject to the provision of Rule 4.2, membership of the Branch shall normally comprise those members of the Institute resident or practising in the Branch area. Where a member's residence and place of business are in different Branch areas, a member will normally be allotted to the Branch in whose area he has his place of business. | |
| 4.2. | In addition, a member may also be attached to a Branch other than the Branch in which he is located, as above, if he so wishes. In this event the member should apply to the Branch of his choice for attachment. The Branch shall have the right to determine whether it wishes to accept or reject that member's application, which shall not be unreasonably refused. | |
| 4.3. | In the event of a member residing or practising in an area where there is no Branch, then, should he wish to join a Branch, he should apply to the Secretariat of the Institute for membership of the Branch of his choice. In this event the member should apply to the Branch of his choice for attachment. The Branch shall have the right to determine whether it wishes to accept or reject that member's application, which shall not be unreasonably refused. | |
| 4.4. | In the event of a dispute over membership of a Branch the decision of the Chairman of the Board of Management shall be final. | |
| 4.5. | Upon ceasing to be a member of the Institute, a person shall also forthwith cease to be a member of any Branch of the Institute. | |
| 4.6. | International members only | |
| 4.6.1 | Members resident/working in a Branch area covering more than one jurisdiction may, if they so wish, not be attached to that Branch. | |
| 5.1. | England and Wales Branches - no entrance fee or annual subscription shall be charged by the Branch to its members. The Branch may, however, make appropriate charges to members attending such meetings, functions or other Branch activities as may be organised by the Committee |
| 5.2. | International Branches 1 – may charge an annual subscription up to a maximum of the difference between the England and Wales subscription and that for international members of equivalent grade. International Branches shall also be entitled (in consultation with the Board of Trustees) to agree among individual members of such Branch as to whether or not a Branch subscription is to be payable, on the grounds of hardship. With regard to members resident in countries for which members in Annual General Meeting have agreed special provision, the level of Branch subscription will be set accordingly. |
| 5.3. | The actual level of subscription for those members of Branches who are not located in an area for which special provision has been made is to be set after consultation with the Board of Trustees. It is to be collected by the Institute, unless otherwise agreed, and thereafter remitted to the Branch. |
Ordinary meetings of the Branch for educational or social functions shall be held at such times and places as the Branch Committee shall appoint. The Chair shall be taken by the Chairman or, in his absence, by the Vice-Chairman of the Branch or, if both are absent, then by a member elected by those present.
| 7.1. | The year for the purpose of the annual report and accounts shall be as per the Institute's financial year, which commences on the 1st of January. | |
| 7.2. | The Branch shall on or before the 30th day of April in each year hold a General Meeting as its Annual General Meeting in addition to any other meetings in that year, and shall specify the meeting as such in the notice calling it. The Annual General Meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Branch Committee shall appoint. | |
| 7.3. | The purpose of the Annual General Meeting of the Branch shall be to receive the Report of the Chairman, the Financial Statement of the Branch, either the report of the auditor or the independent examiner, whichever is appropriate, and to elect members of the Branch Committee for the ensuing year, which shall be deemed to be ordinary business. Any other matters raised by the Branch Committee at the Annual General Meeting will be deemed to be special business. | |
| 7.4. | In accordance with Bye-law 20.2 the purpose of the Annual General Meeting shall also be, where appropriate, to elect a Fellow of the Institute, as Branch candidate, to go forward to Congress and stand for election to the office of President, in accordance with Bye-law 20.7. This is further set out in Rule 11 below. | |
| 7.5. | The agenda shall set out the ordinary and special business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting with sufficient particularity to enable members to determine the main purpose of the meeting. The agenda shall accompany the notice calling the Annual General Meeting. | |
| 7.6. | No business shall be transacted at any Annual General Meeting unless there is a quorum of at least ten members personally present and entitled to vote. The Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. | |
| 7.7. | If within fifteen minutes from the time appointed for holding the Annual General Meeting, a quorum of members is not personally present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to such time and place as the chairman, with the consent of the meeting, shall prescribe. The Honorary Secretary shall inform the members of the date and time of the adjourned meeting in accordance with the notice provisions set out in Rule 9 below. | |
| 7.8. | If a member desires to raise any matter at an Annual General Meeting, he shall give written notice thereof to the Honorary Secretary not less than twenty-one days before the date of the meeting and such matter shall be included on the agenda. No decision may be taken on any matter not on the agenda. | |
| 7.9. | The Branch Secretary shall send copies of the following documents to the Institute no later than the 31st January of the year following the last Annual General Meeting: | |
| • | the notice calling the Annual General Meeting; | |
| • | the agenda; | |
| • | the minutes of the Annual General Meeting; | |
| • | in the event of there having been a postal vote, a copy of the scrutineers' report as specified in Rule 10.8 below; and | |
| • | a letter confirming that the notice periods prescribed in Rule 9 have been duly complied with. | |
| • | the notice calling the Annual General Meeting; | |
8. Extraordinary General Meeting
| 8.1. | By resolution of the Branch Committee or at the request of the Branch Chairman or upon a requisition in writing of ten or more members of the Branch specifying the purpose of the meeting, the Branch Secretary shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting, giving members twenty-one days notice. The agenda accompanying the notice shall state the purpose for which the meeting is called. Every such meeting shall be held within forty-two days from the passing of such resolution or the receipt of such request or requisition. The quorum shall be ten members present and entitled to vote. The Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. |
9. Notices and Business for General Meetings
| 9.1. | At least twenty-eight days' notice specifying the place, day and hour of a general meeting and, in the case of special business, the general nature of the business shall be given to the members in manner hereinafter mentioned, but the accidental omission to send such notice to, or the non-receipt of such notice by, any member shall not invalidate the proceedings. |
| 9.2. | The Branch Secretary is to invite nominations for election to the committee from the members of the Branch at least two months prior to the issue of the notice calling the Annual General Meeting referred to in Rule 7.2 and 9.1 above. The invitation for nominations must be accompanied with a reminder that members must return their nominations thirty-five days before the meeting, in accordance with Rule 11.2. |
| 9.3. | If additional matters are raised as per Rule 7.8 an amended agenda should be sent to all members fourteen days before the date of the meeting. |
| 9.4. | Any notices to be given to or by any person pursuant to these Rules shall be in writing. |
| 9.5. | Every member shall from time to time notify the Branch Secretary of his place of business or residence to which communications from the Branch may be sent by post. |
| 9.6. | If any member fails to notify his place of business or residence or any changes thereof, he shall not be entitled to receive notices of meetings or other proceedings of the Branch, and no meetings or proceedings shall be invalidated or prejudiced by reason of non-receipt by him of any notice. |
| 9.7. | The Branch may give notice to any member either personally or by sending it by post in a prepaid envelope addressed to the member at his registered address or by leaving it at that address. |
| 9.8. | Proof that an envelope containing a notice was properly addressed, prepaid and posted shall be conclusive evidence that the notice was given. A notice shall be deemed to be given at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the envelope containing it was posted. |
10. Postal Voting at Annual or Extraordinary General Meetings
| 10.1. | If an election by postal vote is deemed necessary, the procedure shall be in accordance with Bye-law 20.3 as follows: |
| 10.2. | Independent local scrutineers shall be appointed by the Branch Chairman, and approved by the Director General, who shall be either auditors, or the local equivalent of the Electoral Reform Society, or such other responsible body as the Director General may from time to time approve, provided that one of them is willing to act. |
| 10.3. | The Branch Chairman shall forward the nomination papers to every eligible member at least fourteen days prior to forwarding the voting papers as specified in Rule 10.5. Branch members may only nominate members from their own Branch. |
| 10.4. | If there is more than one candidate nominated, any candidate may within seven days of the closing date for the nominations withdraw or, with his consent, be withdrawn by the nominators in writing. If there are still two or more remaining candidates, an election shall be conducted as set out below. If the candidates validly nominated are not more in number than the number of vacancies, those nominated shall be deemed duly elected. |
| 10.5. | The Branch Chairman shall, with all convenient speed, forward a voting paper to every eligible member and the voting paper shall be in such form as the Director General from time to time directs. |
| 10.6. | The voting papers shall be delivered or returned by post, prepaid, to the scrutineers at least seven clear days before the date fixed for the Branch Annual General Meeting. Any voting paper not received by that date shall be invalid. |
| 10.7. | As soon as the voting papers have been examined and the results of the election ascertained by the scrutineers, the voting papers, which shall remain confidential at all times, shall be retained by them for one month after the election, and then destroyed. |
| 10.8. | The scrutineers shall make and sign a report in which they shall state the total number of voting papers received, the number rejected and the grounds for rejection, the total number of votes in favour of each candidate, and the names of those who are duly elected, and shall send such report to the existing Branch Chairman, and the Director General, not later than the third day next before the date of the Branch Annual General Meeting. |
| 10.9. | The scrutineers' report shall be conclusive as to the facts of the election, notwithstanding any irregularity or informality. Provided always that if there be an equality of votes the chairman of the Branch Annual General Meeting may give such casting vote as may be necessary to remove the equality and complete the election. |
| 10.10. | The report of the scrutineers shall be read at the Branch Annual General Meeting. |
| 10.11. | Elections under this Rule shall take effect as from the conclusion of the Branch Annual General Meeting. |
| 10.12. | In addition to postal votes, members may send their ballot papers by telefax, zetafax or email provided it is indicated as coming from a number or address registered with the Branch Secretary as the correct address of that member. |
11. Election of the Branch Candidate for Presidental Elections
| 11.1. | In accordance with Rule 7.4 and Bye-law 20.7 the Branch shall, when appropriate, elect a Fellow of the Institute, as Branch Candidate, to go forward to Congress for election to the office of President. |
| 11.2. | All Branch candidates must have been nominated in writing, and supported by four other members of that Branch. |
| 11.3. | Any candidate may within fourteen days of the closing date for the nominations withdraw or, with his consent, be withdrawn by the nominators in writing. |
| 11.4. | If there is only one candidate nominated by the Branch, that candidate will be deemed to have been elected as the Branch candidate. If there are however two or more candidates, an election shall be conducted. Elections pursuant to this Rule 11 shall be by postal vote, as provided in Rule 10. |
| 11.5. | The successful Branch candidate must have given a written undertaking to serve and fulfil the duties expected of the posts of President, Deputy President and Vice President, if elected by the members in Congress. |
| 12.1. | The management of the Branch shall be vested in the Committee. When managing the affairs of the Branch, the Committee will pay due regard to the fact that the Branch is a branch of the Institute and will pay due regard to the policies of the Institute and will take appropriate note of the views of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Management. |
| 12.1A | The Committee shall consist of not less than six nor more than sixteen members. At each Annual General Meeting one third of the elected members, or if the number of elected members is not a multiple of three, then the number nearest to but not exceeding one third shall retire from office. Those to retire shall be those who have been longest in office since their last election and, in the event of two or more having been in office for the same length of time, and a less number having to retire, such less number shall either retire by agreement or by drawing lots. Members thus retiring shall be eligible for re-election without re-nomination, up to a maximum of seven years of service on the Committee. A member shall not serve on the Branch Committee for a period longer than seven years without re-nomination. |
| 12.2. | Nominations for election to the Branch Committee signed by two members must be lodged with the Branch Secretary not less than thirty-five days before the Annual General Meeting, accompanied by a statement from the nominee that, if elected, he will accept office. No person who is not a member of the Branch may nominate or be nominated as a candidate. |
| 12.3. | The names of retiring members of the Branch Committee who are willing to be re-elected thereto shall be notified to the members in the notice specified in Rule 9.2. |
| 12.4. | The Committee shall have power to fill any casual vacancies that may arise and any member so appointed shall remain in office until the next Annual General Meeting. The Committee may also co-opt up to three additional members for such purposes or for such time as it may think fit but not beyond the date of the next Annual General Meeting. Co-opted members shall have the right to vote. |
| 12.5. | The Committee shall meet at such times and places as it shall decide. Minutes of the business transacted at such meetings, including a record of the attendance of the members of the Committee, shall be kept by the Honorary Secretary. |
| 12.6. | No business shall be transacted at any Committee meeting unless there is a quorum of at least four members personally present. |
| 12.7. | The Immediate Past Chairman shall be an ex-officio member of the Committee, and shall have the right to vote. |
| 12.8. | Should any member of the Branch Committee cease to be a member of the Institute or leave the geographical area covered by the Branch permanently or be absent without an accepted apology from three consecutive meetings he shall be deemed to have vacated office. |
| 13.1. | The Committee shall from amongst its members elect annually (and shall have power to fill casual vacancies) a Chairman, one or more Vice Chairmen, an Honorary Secretary and an Honorary Treasurer and a Public Relations Officer. In the absence of exceptional circumstances a member shall not serve as Chairman for a period longer than three years without a break of one year. Where exceptional circumstances are deemed to exist, specific approval is to be obtained from the Board of Trustees. |
| 13.2. | A Vice Chairman shall deputise for the Chairman in his absence, and in the event of there not being a successor to the chair after a consecutive three year term of office, the Vice Chairman shall take the chair on a pro tem basis until the next Annual General Meeting at which a Chairman shall be elected to the Branch Committee. |
| 13.3. | Any two of the offices of Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Branch Public Relations Officer, and/or Vice Chairman may, at the discretion of the Branch Committee, be held by one person. |
| 13.4. | The Board of Trustees shall have the power to investigate and if deemed necessary dismiss the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Public Relations Officer and/or any other officer of the Branch Committee should there be evidence of any failure in the proper management of the Branch or the duties of the officer. The Board of Trustees shall not dismiss any officer until it has received representations from the Branch Committee and the individual concerned. Such representations may be made in writing or, if so requested or deemed appropriate, in person at a meeting of the Board of Trustees. |
| 13.5. | If 10 members of the Branch consider that the Chairman is not able to discharge the duties of his office they shall requisition the Branch Secretary to summon an Extraordinary General Meeting. If such meeting resolves that the Chairman is not able to discharge those duties the Chairman shall be deemed to have resigned. |
| 13.6. | In accordance with Article 14.1 and Bye-law 6.2(5) each elected Branch Chairman will normally represent his or her Branch at the biennial meeting of Congress. In the event of the Branch Chairman being unable to represent his or her Branch at Congress, the Branch Committee shall elect one of their number to be the Representative. |
The Branch may appoint from amongst eminent members of its local community one or more Patrons. Each Patron must be a person whom the Branch considers will prove effective in helping the Branch to develop and to fulfil its objectives. Before any approach is made, the Branch must obtain the agreement of the Board of Trustees to the appointment.
15. Financial Control – Regulation of Management of Assets and Funds of the Branch
| 15.1. | The assets of the Branch (including any Chapters of it), including all monies held by the Branch, whether in any bank account maintained by the Branch or otherwise, shall be and shall remain under the beneficial ownership of the Branch. The assets of the Branch are to be utilised and applied solely for the purposes of advancing and attaining the objects of the Branch. Surplus funds may be lent from time to time to the Institute (as a charitable organisation), to obtain additional income for the Branch. | |
| 15.2. | The funds of the Branch shall be derived from: | |
| 15.2.1. | a discretionary grant which may be made by the Board of Trustees each year; or, for International Branches, the Branch annual subscription; and | |
| 15.2.2. | any surpluses which may accrue to the Branch through its activities. | |
| 15.3. | The funds shall be under the management of the Branch Committee. The funds shall be used only to advance and attain the objects of the Branch, taking into due consideration the business plan of the Branch (and its Chapters, if any) as agreed with the Board of Trustees each year. In the event of the Branch being closed or amalgamated or in some other way ceasing to exist in its present form, such funds and all other remaining assets of the Branch shall be donated to the Institute provided that the Institute at that time continues to be recognised formally as a charitable organisation. In the event that the Institute is not formally recognised as a charitable organisation at that time, the funds and other remaining assets shall be donated to other charities or otherwise used for charitable purposes. | |
| 15.3A | No part of the funds or other assets of the Branch may at any time be distributed amongst the members of the Branch or the Institute. | |
| 15.4. | The Branch shall open an account in the name of the Branch at a bank approved by the Branch Committee and shall, through its Honorary Treasurer, keep proper income and expenditure accounts which shall be made up to the end of each quarter. A statement of account on the approved Institute form, a copy of the bank reconciliation as at the quarter-end and such VAT information as the Institute may require shall be filed with the Institute quarterly by the 14th day following the end of the calendar quarter. Year-end information shall be received by the Institute no later than the 31st January of the year following the last financial year. The Branch financial records must always be kept up to date and be made available for inspection by the Institute or its auditors on reasonable notice, if so requested. | |
| 15.5. | It is a requirement for all larger Branches to have their year-end accounts and financial records externally audited. Larger Branches are defined as those Branches which in the previous financial year had either total income or net assets in excess of £10,000. All Branches, including those that do not meet this criteria, may be subject to periodic visits by Institute staff for the purpose of carrying out an internal audit to ensure that information being reported to the Institute in accordance with Rule 15.4 is being properly and accurately compiled with the cost of such routine visits being borne centrally. Branches which fail to meet the timetable for the submission of financial information laid down in Rule 15.4 may be visited by Institute staff in order to prepare or otherwise obtain the information required by that rule and the cost of such visits will be borne by the Branch. | |
| 15.6. | The person appointed by a Branch to carry out the audit function required by Rule 15.5 must be independent. This person may be either a Registered Auditor or an independent examiner. A Registered Auditor is an individual holding appropriate qualifications who has been entered on the Register of Auditors under the Companies Act 1989 in the UK or the equivalent legislation abroad. An independent examiner need not be a practising accountant but must have the requisite ability and practical experience to carry out a competent examination of the Accounts and must have no connection with the Trustees (the individual Board of Trustees members) which might inhibit the impartial conduct of the examination. The following persons are deemed to be connected persons for this purpose: a) Branch Committee members or other Branch officials; Every effort should be made to have the audit carried out on an honorary basis but it is recognised that in order to maintain complete independence, there may be circumstances where an appropriate fee will be required. |
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| 15.7. | Cheques shall be signed by at least two members of the Branch Committee, although at least one such signatory to every cheque must be the Branch Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer. |
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| 15.8. | In the event of any unexpected expenditure arising, from for example the calling of a requisitioned Extraordinary General Meeting, the Branch may apply to the Institute for a supplementary grant before incurring the expenditure. The Institute will consider all such requests in a timely manner but will not be bound to make any grant, either in whole or in part. | |
| 15.9. | For the avoidance of doubt, in the event of any breach of the fiduciary duty imposed by this section of the Rules on the Branch, elected committee members and officers thereof, in connection with the financial control and regulation of the assets and funds of the Branch, the individuals concerned may be held personally liable to the Institute to make good any losses sustained/caused thereby. | |
| 15.10. | The members of the Branch Committee are not entitled to receive any remuneration for serving as members of the Branch Committee, nor shall such members be appointed to any salaried office of the Branch while remaining members of the Branch Committee. | |
| 16.1. | A "Chapter" is a subsection of a Branch of the Institute, formed to further the objects of the Institute at its local level. | |
| 16.2. | Any Branch shall be entitled, upon the approval of the Board of Trustees, to establish Chapters consisting of members residing in a particular part of the Branch area. | |
| 16.3. | The role and function of the Chapter shall be to: | |
| • | promote and represent the Institute, its services, arbitration and ADR throughout the designated Chapter area, and | |
| • | to offer those members in close proximity additional localised networking and socialising opportunities. | |
| 16.4. | The affairs of each Chapter will be managed by a Chapter Committee which will be under the management and direction of the Branch Committee and must act in conformity with these Branch Model Rules. | |
| 16.5. | The Branch Committee shall appoint the first members of the Chapter Committee. | |
| 16.6. | The Chapter Committee shall have such powers authorities and discretions with respect to the management of the affairs of the Chapter as the Branch Committee may in its discretion confer on it from time to time. | |
| 16.7. | The Chapter committee shall consist of such number of officers and members as is determined by the Branch Committee and will be elected annually by and from the members of the Chapter and in such manner as the Branch committee may prescribe from time to time. | |
| 16.8. | The Branch committee may: | |
| • | fill any casual vacancy that may arise in the Chapter committee from time to time; | |
| • | appoint up to 3 Branch members who are additional members of the Chapter committee. Any member so appointed shall remain in office until the next elections for the Chapter committee. | |
| 16.9. | The Branch committee may remove any member of a Chapter committee and, if thought fit, appoint another individual in place of that member. | |
| 16.10. | Save where inconsistent with these Rules or with any rules regulations or Bye-laws made by the Branch Committee with respect to a Chapter committee or to Chapter committees generally, the provisions of these Rules that govern the conduct of the Branch Committee will apply (with the necessary changes) to that Chapter committee or to those Chapter committees, as the case may be. | |
| 16.11. | The assets of any Chapters, and any monies held in any bank account maintained by Chapters, shall be and shall remain under the beneficial ownership of the Branch. | |
| 16.12. | Each Chapter shall account to the Branch for such assets and monies in such manner and at such times as the Board of Trustees shall direct. The elected committee members and officers of every Chapter shall act as fiduciaries to the Branch for such monies. | |
17. Authority to use the name of the Institute
| 17.1. | The Branch shall be permitted to refer to itself as a Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and may commission the printing of official stationery bearing the Institute and the Branch’s full name and the Institute’s crest. The elected officers on the Branch Committee, or Chapters thereof, are only licensed to use the Institute’s crest and name for the purposes of dealing with Institute and Branch business. All use of the name, trademarks and logos of the Institute, including the Crest, shall be subject to the regulation and control of the Institute. |
| 18.1. | These rules shall be interpreted under the laws for the time being of the Hong Kong SAR. Any dispute between the Institute and the Branch or any member in relation thereto shall be referred to the Board of Trustees in London whose decision shall be final and binding, subject to the relevant jurisdiction of the courts of the Hong Kong SAR. |
19. Amendment of the Branch Rules
| 19.1. | These rules may be amended by special resolution of the members of the Branch in a general meeting at which the proposed amendment is properly upon the agenda, such resolution having been carried out with two-thirds of those present and entitled to vote having voted in favour of the resolution. |
Adopted at EAB's SGM on Thursday, 3 August 2006
Ratified and approved by CIArb's Board of Management on 1 September 2006
No-objection (oral) by Societies Officer on 12 January 2007
Final approval in principle received from IRD on 23 February 2007
Amended (Rev 1) at EAB's EGM on Manday, 4 February 2008
1 International Branches: Such information relating to the general sales taxes as may be required by the relevant authority in the domicile of the Branch.