TNAG-1733-FCO40-2446-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 70

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In short, besides the practical advantages of maintaining OMELCO's position as an important channel for dealing with public complaints against the administration, indirect access fits better with our already comprehensive system for the redress of grievances. Providing direct access could disrupt the system we already have without producing any real compensating benefits.

Let me hasten to add that I do not agree to the view held in some quarters that indirect access will result in bureaucratic delay and obfuscation. Hong Kong is too small a place for the referral procedure to act as an impediment and I have no doubt that Members of this Council, supported by the OMELCO Complaints Division, will act promptly on the

the maladministration complaints they

receive.

The second main aspect of the White Bill which was widely commented upon is the exclusion of the Police le and the ICAC from the Commissioner's jurisdiction. Most

of the comments queried this exclusion on the grounds that the Police and the ICAC should not investigate complaints against themselves; that it was unfair to leave them out; that the Police were included in almost every country which has an established ombudsman, including New Zealand; that complaints procedures against the Police are seen as unsatisfactory by the public; and that it would increase the credibility of the Complaints Against Police Office if

le it were taken over. The Ad Hoc Group indicated that its

Members held different views on the matter, some in & support of excluding the Police and the ICAC and others

against.