The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute
The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:
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The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, led a delegation on a visit to Morocco early this week, and the visit concluded today (May 16).
During his stay in Morocco, Mr Chan attended the annual Board Meeting of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) as Chairman of the IOI's Standing By-laws Committee and member of the United Nations and International Cooperation Working Group and exchanged views and ideas with representatives of other countries and regions. The Board Meeting of IOI involved participation from around 20 countries and regions among which were the United States of America, Canada, the Netherlands, Mexico, South Africa, Korea and Thailand.
The Office's delegation also met with the Mediator of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr Hassan Tariq, and the President of the National Authority for Integrity, Prevention and Fight Against Corruption, Mr Mohamed Benalilou, and visited the Mediator's regional office.
Throughout the visit, Mr Chan also shared with IOI Board Members and his many international counterparts the latest developments and opportunities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as presenting Hong Kong's important position of having strong support from the motherland and close connections to the world.
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Ombudsman attends Board Meeting of International Ombudsman Institute Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKSAR Government welcomes court's decision to dismiss Chow Hang Tung's application for judicial review on clothing policy for persons in custody
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government welcomes the judgment handed down by the Court of First Instance of the High Court today (January 13) to dismiss Chow Hang Tung's application for judicial review on the clothing policy for persons in custody (PICs).
The court judgment pointed out that the current clothing policy for PICs, including the requirement for female PICs to wear trousers in summer daytime, was formulated by the Correctional Services Department (CSD) as authorised by the Prison Rules. The Court was satisfied that the CSD had the expertise and experience in the relevant context, and that it had carefully considered various factors, taken into account of professional opinion when making the decision, as well as reviewed the policy continuously. The Court ruled that Chow Hang Tung had failed to demonstrate that the current policy constituted less favourable treatment of a particular gender. The Court pointed out that there was currently no factual evidence to support any assertion that there was widespread concern about the health effects of wearing trousers in summer. In addition, the rule was not absolute, but instead allowed individual PICs to apply for exceptional arrangements in special circumstances. At the same time, the Court also rejected Chow Hang Tung's assertion that she had requested to the CSD in July and August 2024 to wear shorts and had been refused.
A spokesman for the Security Bureau said, "The ruling of the Court of First Instance confirmed that the CSD's approach is reasonable, justified and lawful. According to Rule 26 of the Prison Rules, the CSD must provide every PIC with a uniform that meets a scale imposed by the Commissioner of Correctional Services. Over the years, the CSD had appointed task groups from time to time to review the clothing arrangements of PICs. These reviews gave ample consideration to numerous factors, including the type of correctional institutions, PICs' varying daily routines and activities involved, the need for thermal, physical and psychological comfort for PICs of different genders, privacy and decency of PICs and the security, good order and discipline of the prison, so as to continuously refine clothing arrangements according to the prevailing circumstances."
The spokesman stated, "Chow Hang Tung's assertion that she requested to wear shorts in summer and was rejected by the CSD is entirely inconsistent with the facts and was rejected by the Court. Besides, the current clothing policy for PICs already provides a degree of flexibility. For example, a PIC may make an application to wear other clothing on medical or non-medical grounds to the CSD, and the CSD would make appropriate arrangements having considered the actual circumstances and relevant factors."
The CSD will continue to impartially implement the relevant rules of the Prison Rules in accordance with the law and commit to providing a secure, safe, humane, decent and healthy custodial environment.
Source: AI-found images
