Chapter:	98	Title:	POST OFFICE ORDINANCE	Gazette Number:	23 of 1998 s. 2
Section:	2	Heading:	Interpretation	Version Date:	01/07/1997

Amendments retroactively made - see 23 of 1998 s. 2

(1) In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires-
"clubbed packet" (合寄郵包) means a packet containing a collection of Chinese letters made up by any person not being an officer of the Post Office and transmitted by post with a view to the letters inclosed in such packet being delivered to more than one person through the agent of the person by whom the packet was made up;
"contract ship" (合約船舶) means any ship which is under contract with the Postmaster General or with any postal authority for the conveyance of mails; (Amended 23 of 1998 s. 2)
"letter" (信件) includes every communication from one person or body of persons to another person or body of persons, sent on any material, by means of any words or other signs, however produced on such material so sent;
"mail bag" (郵袋) means any bag, basket, box, parcel, or other envelope or covering, in which postal articles in course of transmission by post are conveyed, whether it does or does not contain any such postal article; [cf. 1908 c. 48 s. 89 U.K.]
"master of a ship" (船長) includes every person (except a pilot) having command or charge of a ship; [cf. 1908 c. 48 s. 89 U.K.]
"officer of the Post Office" (郵政署人員) includes the Postmaster General and every other person employed in any business of the Postal Department or on behalf of the Postal Department; [cf. 1908 c. 48 s. 89 U.K.]
"person" (人), except so far as relates to the imposition of the penalty of imprisonment, includes a body corporate and a firm; [cf. s. 37(2) & (3) U.K.]
"Post Office" (郵政署) includes every house, building, room, vessel, carriage and place used for the purposes of the postal Department, and every post office letter box; [cf. 1908 c. 48 s. 89 U.K.]
"post office letter box" (郵政局信箱) includes every pillar box and wall box and every other box or receptacle provided by or under the authority of the Postmaster General for the purpose of receiving postal articles for transmission by or under the authority of the Postmaster General; [cf. 1908 c. 48 s. 89 U.K.]
"postage stamp" (郵政印花) means any label or stamp for denoting any rate of postage payable in respect of postal articles, and includes adhesive postage stamps and stamps printed, embossed, impressed or otherwise indicated on any envelope, wrapper, postcard or other article, whether such postage stamp is issued under this Ordinance or by any postal authority; (Amended 23 of 1998 s. 2)
"postal article" (郵遞品) includes everything which is transmissible by post;
"postal packet" (郵包) means a postal article, or a collection of postal articles, which is in course of transmission by post as one postal unit;
"Postmaster General" (署長) means, unless Her Majesty's Postmaster General is indicated, the Postmaster General of Hong Kong, and includes the deputy postmaster general and every assistant postmaster general; (Amended 1 of 1987 s. 8; 46 of 1992 s. 2)
"ship" (船舶) includes every description of vessel used in navigation and every description of aircraft.
(2) For the purposes of this Ordinance-

(a) a postal article shall be deemed to be in course of transmission by post from the time of its being duly delivered to a post office to the time of its being delivered to the addressee or its being returned to the sender or otherwise disposed of under the provisions of this Ordinance;
(b) the placing of a postal article in any receiving box for the deposit of postal articles or the delivery of an article to an officer of the post office in the course of his duties shall be deemed to be delivery to a post office; and
(c) the following shall be deemed to be delivery of a postal packet to the addressee-
(i) delivery according to the usual manner of delivering postal packets to the addressee; or
(ii) delivery at the house or office of the addressee; or
(iii) delivery to the addressee or to his servant or agent or other person having authority to receive such packet; or
(iv) when the addressee is a guest and is resident at an hotel, delivery to the proprietor or manager thereof or to his agent. [cf. 1908 c. 48 s. 90 U.K.]