Press Releases 1997
Disability Discrimination Regulation comes into effect
The Disability Discrimination (Proceedings by Equal Opportunities Commission) Regulation, which was approved by the Provisional Legislative Council on 10 December 1997, comes into effect with the gazettal of the Regulation today (Friday).
A government spokesman said : "The regulation enables the Equal Opportunities Commission to bring proceedings in its own name when the Commission has reason to believe that a person has committed an unlawful act under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO); the concerned case raises a question of principle and the Commission considers it to be in the interests of justice to bring the proceedings.
"Before bringing the proceedings, the commission must have already offered assistance by way of conciliation.
"Also, it should have given prior written notice to the aggrieved person and established that the individual does not wish to bring proceedings in his own name," he added.
The regulation also enables the commission to apply for remedies available to a claimant under the DDO. These include a declaration of an unlawful act, an injunction or an order declaring void any contract or agreement made in contravention of the DDO.
The spokesman said the regulation would give persons with disabilities greater protection from discrimination.
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