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District Court Equal Opportunities Rules gazetted
The District Court Equal Opportunities Rules gazetted today (Friday) set out the procedures to be adopted in the District Court for hearing cases lodged under the Sex and Disability Discrimination ordinances.
The new rules provide for the keeping of an Equal Opportunities Register in which cases lodged under the two ordinances will be filed.
This will facilitate the establishment of a separate list in the District Court to ensure that cases filed in this Register are heard without delay.
In line with the spirit of providing an accessible channel of redress in sex and disability discrimination cases, the new rules allow persons who are neither legally qualified nor parties to an action to appear in and address the court in the proceedings.
As a result, members or employees of the Equal Opportunities Commission, office-bearers of a registered trade union, carers or relatives of the party concerned and so on may act on behalf of the party in such proceedings.
The new rules also empower the District Court to transfer to the Labour Tribunal actions which are beyond the jurisdiction of the Court but within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal.
An amendment has also been made to the Labour Tribunal (General) Rules to ensure that cases thus transferred will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Tribunal Ordinance.
The District Court Equal Opportunities Rules and the Labour Tribunal (General)(Amendment) Rules 1996 will be brought into operation upon the commencement of the Sex and Disability Discrimination ordinances.
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