Note: This story has been updated to clarify former transport minister Anthony Cheung Bing-leung’s remarks about his readiness to step down following the 2012 Lamma ferry tragedy.

Who is at fault for the notice: the frontline officers involved or the senior civil servant overseeing them?

“Opinions are divided among ourselves,” said a veteran civil servant, speaking on condition of anonymity. “In this case, the senior official can say this was an execution problem by frontline staff. Such a high-ranking official doesn’t micromanage to this level.”

But another said: “Can the head truly shrug off supervisory accountability? It may depend on whether he or she turned a blind eye to questionable practices. But it’s hard to prove.”

The new mechanism targets department heads for “widespread, repetitive, systemic” failures, aiming to clarify administrative blame.