334 Public Order
as an independent oversight authority. On the recommendation of the Chief Justice, the Chief Executive re-appointed Mr Justice Woo Kwok-hing, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, as the commissioner for another three years from August 17, 2009. The commissioner is assisted by a secretariat in performing his functions under the ordinance.
The main duties of the commissioner are to oversee and conduct reviews on the compliance by LEAs and their officers with the relevant requirements under the ordinance; carry out examinations upon applications from people who suspect they are subjects of interception or covert surveillance conducted by LEAs; give notifications to those affected in cases of interception or covert surveillance without the authority of a prescribed authorisation; and make recommendations to the Secretary for Security on the code of practice issued under the ordinance and to the heads of LEAs to better carry out the aims of the ordinance and the code of practice.
The commissioner is required to submit annual reports to the Chief Executive with statistical information and his assessment on the overall compliance with the relevant requirements under the ordinance during the report period. The annual report for 2008, covering the period from January 1 to December 31, 2008, was submitted to the Chief Executive in June 2009 and tabled in the Legislative Council in December 2009.
Civil Aid Service
The Civil Aid Service (CAS) is a government auxiliary emergency service established under the Civil Aid Service Ordinance. It has an establishment of 3 634 adult members, 3 232 cadets and 103 civil servants.
Its primary duty is to provide auxiliary support services during emergencies. Members are trained to perform emergency duties during typhoons, flooding and landslips; to search for and rescue people in distress in mountains; to help evacuate or rescue victims trapped under collapsed buildings or buried in landslips; and to combat vegetation fires and oil pollution at sea. In 2009, CAS members were mobilised for four rescue operations after tropical cyclones, 52 mountain search and rescue operations, and 31 vegetation fire-fighting operations.
The CAS was mobilised to assist the Food and Health Bureau in managing isolation centres during the Human Swine Influenza outbreak in May and June.
The CAS carried out crowd management duties at 230 public events in 2009 including those performed during the East Asian Games.
The CAS continued to patrol hiking trails and country parks on Sundays and public holidays to assist persons needing help in those places. During the dry season, CAS members are on standby duty to render assistance in the event of hill fires.
The CAS endeavours to develop leadership potential and cultivate civic and national awareness among young people by recruiting those aged 12 to 17 into the CAS Cadet Corps. Apart from participating in recreational activities, CAS cadets are
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.