There
are a number of courts and tribunals which have the authority to deliver
judgments on
disputes relating to specific or defined areas such as the Coroner's
Court, the Juvenile Court, the Lands Tribunal, the Labour Tribunal, the
Small Claims Tribunal and the Obscene Articles Tribunal.
Coroner's Court
The Coroner's Court inquires into
the nature or the cause of deaths which occur as a result of accident
or violence or under suspicious circumstances.
Juvenile Court
The Juvenile Court hears charges against
children and young persons under the age of 16 for any offence other
than homicide. Children under the age of 10 are deemed not to have
reached the age of criminal responsibility and accordingly no court,
including the Juvenile Court, has jurisdiction over cases involving
such young people. The Juvenile Court also has the jurisdiction to
make care and protection orders in respect of young persons under the
age of 18.
Lands Tribunal
The Lands Tribunal deals with cases
arising from tenancy disputes and matters in relation to building management.
It also hears applications for the determination of compensations caused
by land resumption and the appeals against the assessment of rateable
value or government rent or market value of properties under the Housing
Ordinance.
Labour Tribunal
The Labour Tribunal deals with claims
arising from the alleged breach of terms of employment contracts such
as arrears of wages, statutory holiday pay, maternity leave pay, etc.
The hearings are informal and no legal representation by lawyers is
allowed. To get more information about how to prepare for the trial (from both the Claimant's and the Defendant's perspective), please click here.
Small Claims Tribunal
The Small Claims Tribunal hears minor
monetary claims involving amounts not exceeding $50,000. The hearings
are informal and no legal representation by lawyers is allowed. To get more information about how to prepare for the trial (from both the Claimant's and the Defendant's perspective), please click here.
Obscene Articles Tribunal
The main function of the Obscene Articles
Tribunal is to determine and classify whether or not an article or
other matter publicly displayed is obscene or indecent.
Commissions and Commissioners
In addition to the judicial and administrative
tribunals described above, there are a number of other bodies set up
to oversee compliance with specific legislation and to which members
of the public may have channels to speak out if they feel aggrieved.
Some of them may be closely related to our daily lives, such as the Office of the Ombudsman, the Equal Opportunities Commission and
the Privacy Commissioner's Office . |