Q1. I forgot that the Vehicle Licence of my car had expired and I renewed it a few days later. I left the car in my own parking lot and had not driven it in those few days. Did I commit any offence?

Q1. I forgot that the Vehicle Licence of my car had expired and I renewed it a few days later. I left the car in my own parking lot and had not driven it in those few days. Did I commit any offence?

Probably no one would have noticed in that few days that the Vehicle Licence of your car had expired.  But from a strictly legal perspective, Regulation 25 of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap.374E of the Laws of Hong Kong) prescribes that “no motor vehicle shall be upon…any road unless a valid vehicle licence in respect of the vehicle is displayed”.  The word “upon” means that mere parking—not necessarily driving—of a vehicle without a valid licence on a road would give rise to the offence.  Further, the word “road” is given a broad definition in the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap.374 of the Laws of Hong Kong) as to comprising almost any place—including a parking lot; and section 118 of the same Ordinance prescribes that virtually all regulations made under the Ordinance shall apply to private roads as they apply to roads.  In such circumstances, you have committed an offence under Regulation 25 of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap.374E of the Laws of Hong Kong).