The following can only be a brief introduction of the legal subject concerned. Before you take any action which may have legal consequence, you should first seek advice from your own lawyer or make an appointment at any District Office to see a volunteer lawyer of the Free Legal Advice Scheme.




(604) OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

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The Office of The Ombudsman is an independent authority, established in 1989 under The Ombudsman Ordinance. The Office is a corporation sole, with full statutory authority to conduct its own administrative and financial business. It provides an avenue for reports and investigation of grievances arising from maladministration, including such things as inefficient, bad or improper administrative decisions, acts, recommendations or omissions.

The Ombudsman, directly appointed by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, serves as the community's watchdog to ensure that:

• Bureaucratic constraints do not interfere with administrative fairness
• Public authorities are readily accessible to the public
• Abuse of power is prevented
• Wrongs are righted
• Facts are pointed out when public officers are unjustly accused
• Human rights are protected
• The public sector continues to improve quality and efficiency.

The primary function of the Office is to investigate into complaints of alleged maladministration by practically all Government departments (except the Hong Kong Police Force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption) and some major public organisations. The Ombudsman is also empowered to investigate complaints of non-compliance with the Code on Access to Information against government departments (including the Hong Kong Police Force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption).

Parties directly aggrieved are required to lodge the complaints by themselves. The complaints can be lodged in writing, by telephone, or in person. All complaints lodged with the Office are treated in the strictest confidence. However, there are some restrictions to The Ombudsman's powers. For instance, matters with statutory channel for appeal or objection; trivial, frivolous, vexatious complaints; or allegations in bad faith fall outside The Ombudsman's purview. On those complaints that the Office screens-in, they will be handled in one of the following three methods: inquiry, mediation and full investigation.

Apart from investigating complaints, The Ombudsman can initiate direct investigations on his own volition and may publish investigation reports of public interest. By adopting a proactive and preventive approach, these direct investigations are useful in redressing administrative flaws of a systemic nature and preventing future similar complaints by addressing fundamental problems or other underlying causes for complaint.

Members of the public can approach the Office by one of the following ways:

By telephone at: 2629 0555

By post-free complaint form: Forms are available at the District Offices of the Home Affairs Department. Requests for these forms can also be made to the Office by telephone or by fax.

By mail or in person at: 30/F, China Merchants Tower, Shun Tak Centre, 168-200 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong (Opens at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday to Friday except Public Holidays)

By fax at: 2882 8149

By online complaint form at: www.ombudsman.hk

By e-mail at: complaints@ombudsman.hk and enquiry@ombudsman.hk .

Date of amendment: 11th October 2023