---
title: "Advisory body to be given power to probe department heads for serious offences"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/282671096.md"
description: "A statutory advisory body in Hong Kong will gain new powers in June to investigate government department heads for serious issues. The Civil Service Bureau's proposed legislation allows the Public Service Commission to initiate investigations into widespread or systemic problems. The commission can access information, inspect premises, and involve independent experts. This move aims to enhance accountability and governance, as outlined in the 2025 policy address. The legislation will be submitted to the Executive Council next month and tabled at Legco for vetting in June, potentially taking effect by mid-October."
datetime: "2026-04-14T10:21:06.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/282671096.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/282671096.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/282671096.md)
---

# Advisory body to be given power to probe department heads for serious offences

A statutory advisory body in Hong Kong will be given new powers as early as June to investigate government department heads over “serious, widespread or systemic” problems, as part of a broader push to institutionalise official accountability. The subsidiary legislation drafted by the Civil Service Bureau, which was submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday, sought to grant the Public Service Commission, an independent, statutory body that advises the government on civil service appointments and promotions, new investigative powers. Under the proposal, the chief executive, department secretaries or bureau directors can initiate investigations if they deem problems occurring in a department to be “widespread, repetitive, systemic”, or if there are indications that department heads are personally implicated. The Public Service Commission will lead a team to point out shortcomings of involved officials, and identify root causes of the problems. The commission will be empowered to demand access to relevant information, inspect government premises, and enlist independent experts to assist with investigations. “This commission is an independent body familiar with civil service work. Empowering it to conduct probes will dismiss potential allegations that ‘civil servants are investigating their own’,” a government source explained. The source said there are about 60 department heads in the civil service, while most of the permanent secretaries of bureaus would not be subject to the new investigation framework. According to the bureau document, if an investigation report contains criticisms of any individual or organisation, those affected must be given the opportunity to make written or oral representations. Officials who fail to cooperate with a probe will be considered to have failed in their duties, potentially triggering disciplinary action under existing mechanisms. The “Heads of Department Accountability System” was first proposed in the 2025 policy address to enhance governance, drive top officials to improve work processes and enhance management efficiency. The bureau plans to submit the proposed legislation to the Executive Council next month. It will be tabled at Legco for negative vetting in June, and will come into effect by mid-October if the scrutiny period is extended.

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