ENG-2009 — Page 81

The Legal System ❘ 37

In 2009, the EOC received 3 731 enquiries and 860 complaints relating to the four anti-discrimination ordinances. A total of 173 complaints were successfully conciliated.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) was established in 1996 as an independent statutory body under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO) to monitor, supervise and promote compliance with the PDPO.

In 2009, the PCPD handled 1 151 complaints and 18 760 enquiries, issued 25 enforcement notices, referred eight cases to the Police for prosecution and handled 10 matching procedure applications and 107 compliance checks. The PCPD released four investigation reports on important complaint cases to give the public an inside view of how such complaints are handled.

The PCPD organised a series of public seminars during the year to promote awareness and greater understanding of the purpose of the PCPD. In May, the PCPD collaborated with the Hospital Authority to launch a third industry-wide campaign to drive home to industries with large amounts of personal data the importance of the protection of such data.

On the international front, the PCPD organised 'Privacy Awareness Week 2009' jointly with members of the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA) in May, and went on to host the 31st APPA Forum in Hong Kong the following month.

The Government, with the support of the PCPD, has conducted a comprehensive review of the PDPO to see whether its existing provisions afforded adequate protection for personal data in the wake of the developments of the past decade. The review was put up for public consultation in August.

Websites

Administration Wing, Chief Secretary for Administration's Office: www.admwing.gov.hk

Department of Justice: www.doj.gov.hk Judiciary: www.judiciary.gov.hk

Legal Aid Department: www.lad.gov.hk

Home Affairs Bureau: www.hab.gov.hk

Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau: www.cmab.gov.hk Intellectual Property Department: www.ipd.gov.hk