Article: The Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission: Calling for a New Avatar

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TitleThe Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission: Calling for a New Avatar
AuthorsKapai, P
Issue Date2009
PublisherSweet & Maxwell Asia. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.hku.hk/law/hklj/
CitationHong Kong Law Journal, 2009, v. 39 n. 2, p. 339-359 [How to Cite?]
AbstractThe Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission ('EOC') was set up to perform the important function of an independent body which would receive and investigate complaints of discrimination within the community and to help Hong Kong strive to become a society in which discrimination on grounds such as sex, disability, family status, and race would not be tolerated. Despite the broad powers of inquiry and investigation given to the EOC to enable it to effectively perform this critical role, its inherent limitations have resulted in the limited impact the EOC has had on the implementation of anti-discrimination laws in Hong Kong. This article discusses some of these inherent limitations and outlines the structural and substantive issues that have plagued the EOC in recent years. In view of these matters, it is argued that without an immediate change in the institutional design, membership and culture of the EOC, it is unlikely that the EOC will have any significant impact in the years to come. The article concludes with some suggestions on the changes that need to be put into place to help the EOC be born anew so that it can lead Hong Kong closer to substantive outcomes in anti-discrimination law and policy.
DescriptionAnalysis
ISSN0378-0600
DC Field
Value
dc.contributor.authorKapai, P
dc.date.accessioned2010-10-31T10:21:30Z
dc.date.available2010-10-31T10:21:30Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.description.abstractThe Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission ('EOC') was set up to perform the important function of an independent body which would receive and investigate complaints of discrimination within the community and to help Hong Kong strive to become a society in which discrimination on grounds such as sex, disability, family status, and race would not be tolerated. Despite the broad powers of inquiry and investigation given to the EOC to enable it to effectively perform this critical role, its inherent limitations have resulted in the limited impact the EOC has had on the implementation of anti-discrimination laws in Hong Kong. This article discusses some of these inherent limitations and outlines the structural and substantive issues that have plagued the EOC in recent years. In view of these matters, it is argued that without an immediate change in the institutional design, membership and culture of the EOC, it is unlikely that the EOC will have any significant impact in the years to come. The article concludes with some suggestions on the changes that need to be put into place to help the EOC be born anew so that it can lead Hong Kong closer to substantive outcomes in anti-discrimination law and policy.
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_version
dc.descriptionAnalysis
dc.identifier.citationHong Kong Law Journal, 2009, v. 39 n. 2, p. 339-359 [How to Cite?]
dc.identifier.epage359
dc.identifier.hkuros179495
dc.identifier.issn0378-0600
dc.identifier.issue2
dc.identifier.openurl
dc.identifier.spage339
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/124224
dc.identifier.volume39
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherSweet & Maxwell Asia. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.hku.hk/law/hklj/
dc.relation.ispartofHong Kong Law Journal
dc.rightsCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License
dc.titleThe Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission: Calling for a New Avatar
dc.typeArticle