BLNST Study Notes
Fifteen structured lessons on the Basic Law and the Hong Kong National Security Law, distilled from the built-in teaching content of the 10min BLNST app. Each lesson highlights the provisions, figures and traps most frequently tested in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test.
Basic Law
9 lessons covering the Preamble and all chapters of the Basic Law.
第1–11條
Preamble and General Principles
The Preamble establishes that Hong Kong has been part of Chinese territory since ancient times, sovereignty was resumed on 1 July 1997, the "one country, two systems" principle applies, and Article 31 of the Constitution is the constitutional basis. The General Principles (Articles 1–11) set out the legal status, high degree of autonomy, institutional arrangements and legal framework of the HKSAR.
4 sections
第12–23條
Relationship between the Central Authorities and the HKSAR
This chapter establishes that the HKSAR comes directly under the Central People's Government, delineates matters managed by the Central Authorities versus those handled autonomously by the HKSAR, and requires the HKSAR to enact national security legislation on its own.
4 sections
第24–42條
Fundamental Rights and Duties of the Residents
Chapter III defines Hong Kong residents (permanent/non-permanent) and six categories of permanent residents, enumerates fundamental rights and freedoms, and establishes the duty to obey Hong Kong law.
4 sections
第43–65條
Political Structure I: Chief Executive and Executive Authorities
Chapter IV Sections 1 and 2 establish the status, qualifications, selection, powers and resignation conditions of the Chief Executive, the Executive Council as a decision-making advisory body, and the composition and accountability obligations of the Executive Authorities.
4 sections
第66–96條
Political Structure II: Legislature and Judiciary
This chapter covers the composition, powers and procedures of the Legislative Council (Arts. 66–79), and the structure of the judiciary, the Court of Final Appeal, and the appointment and removal of judges (Arts. 80–96). It is one of the highest-scoring chapters in BLNST due to its many specific numbers.
4 sections
第97–104條
Political Structure III: District Organisations, Public Servants and Oath-taking
This chapter covers non-political district organisations (Arts. 97–98), the appointment and retention of public servants (Arts. 99–103), and the constitutional requirement for five categories of officeholders to take an oath of allegiance upon assuming office (Art. 104).
4 sections
第105–135條
Economy
Chapter V covers six economic domains: public finance and taxation, monetary and financial affairs, trade and commerce, land contracts, shipping, and civil aviation, establishing the HKSAR's highly autonomous economic system.
4 sections
第136–157條
Social Affairs and External Affairs
Chapter VI establishes broad autonomy for Hong Kong in education, science, culture, sports, religion, labour and social welfare. Chapter VII defines the scope of Hong Kong's external relations under the name "Hong Kong, China" and rules on consular institutions.
3 sections
第158–160條及附件一、二、三
Interpretation, Amendment, Supplementary Provisions and the Three Annexes
Chapter VIII vests interpretation authority in the NPCSC and amendment authority in the NPC; Chapter IX (Supplementary Provisions) provides transitional arrangements for pre-existing laws. The three Annexes govern the methods for selecting the Chief Executive and forming the Legislative Council (comprehensively revised in 2021) and the national laws applied in Hong Kong — the highest-frequency chapters in the BLNST.
4 sections
Hong Kong National Security Law
6 lessons covering the full structure and four categories of offences under the NSL.
第1–6條
General Principles
Chapter I sets out the legislative purpose, responsible parties, human rights safeguards and rule-of-law principles of the NSL — the foundational framework of the entire law, effective **30 June 2020**.
4 sections
第7–19條
HKSAR Duties and Bodies for Safeguarding National Security
This chapter sets out the duties of the HKSAR, the composition and powers of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, the specialist departments within the Police Force and Department of Justice, and funding arrangements.
4 sections
第20–23條
Offences I: Secession and Subversion
The first four articles of Chapter III of the NSL define two core offences — secession (Article 20) and subversion (Article 22) — each paired with an incitement/assistance offence (Articles 21 and 23). Penalties are tiered into three levels based on the role of the offender.
4 sections
第24–30條
Offences II: Terrorist Activities and Collusion with Foreign Forces
Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter III create the offences of terrorist activities (Articles 24–28) and collusion with a foreign country or external elements (Articles 29–30), both carrying a maximum of **life imprisonment**; Article 30 provides for aggravated sentencing for collusion.
3 sections
第31–47條
Other Penalty Provisions, Jurisdiction and Procedure
Chapter III (Arts 31–35) covers corporate liability, asset forfeiture, three mitigating circumstances, deportation and disqualification from public office; Chapter IV (Arts 36–47) establishes territorial, personal and protective jurisdiction, together with key procedural rules: designated judges, reversed bail threshold, jury-waiver trials and the binding Chief Executive certificate.
3 sections
第48–66條
Office for Safeguarding National Security and Supplementary Provisions
Chapter 5 establishes the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, granting it supervisory, intelligence and case-handling powers, and stipulates that its staff are not subject to HKSAR jurisdiction. Chapter 6 provides supplementary provisions including the primacy of this Law over local law, exclusive interpretation authority of the NPCSC, and penalty-term conversion rules.
4 sections
Practise with 683 exam-style questions
The notes above come from the 10min BLNST app. Inside the app you can study each lesson side by side with 683 practice questions covering the Basic Law and the Hong Kong National Security Law.
