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The Legal System
Official Solicitor
The Director of Legal Aid is also the Official Solicitor, appointed under the Official Solicitor Ordinance. The Official Solicitor's main duties are to act as 'guardian ad litem' or 'next friend' in legal proceedings for persons under a disability of age or who are mentally incapacitated, as representative of deceased persons' estates for the purpose of legal proceedings, as Official Trustee and Judicial Trustee, and as committee of the estate of mentally incapacitated persons. In 2017, the Official Solicitor took up 278 new cases.
The Law Reform Commission
The commission considers and reports on those topics referred to it by the Secretary for Justice or the Chief Justice. Its membership includes judges, academics, practising lawyers and prominent community members. Since its establishment in 1980, the commission has published 65 reports covering subjects as diverse as commercial arbitration, description of flats on sale, guardianship and custody, hearsay, privacy, class actions and charities. Subjects now under the commission's consideration include sexual offences, archives law, access to information, causing or allowing the death of a child and periodical payments for future pecuniary loss in personal injury cases.
Director of Intellectual Property
The office of the Director of Intellectual Property, established under the Director of Intellectual Property (Establishment) Ordinance (Cap 412), runs the Intellectual Property Department, which operates four registries on trade marks, patents, designs and copyright licensing bodies. With regard to intellectual property, the department makes recommendations on policy and legislation, provides civil legal advice to the government, and promotes public awareness of and respect for intellectual property rights. It also facilitates and promotes Hong Kong's development as an intellectual property trading hub in the region.
Equal Opportunities Commission
The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) is an independent statutory body that implements anti-discrimination legislation. There are four anti-discrimination ordinances: the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, Disability Discrimination Ordinance, Family Status Discrimination Ordinance and Race Discrimination Ordinance. The EOC's functions include working towards the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, family status and race, and towards the elimination of sexual harassment, and harassment and vilification on the grounds of disability and race.
In 2017, the EOC received 3,348 enquiries and 544 complaints relating to the four ordinances. A total of 159 complaint cases were successfully conciliated.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data is an independent statutory body established under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance to monitor, supervise and promote compliance with the ordinance.
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