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| Lodging a Complaint |
Complaint Handling Procedures |Complaint
Handling Methods | Limits on Investigations | Complaint Handling Flow Chart |
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You can lodge your complaint by writing to us. You should give full particulars of the matters complained of, sign on the letter before sending the letter to us:
30/F, China Merchants Tower, Shun Tak Centre, 168-200 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong,
or G.P.O. Box No. 3300, Hong Kong,
or by fax to 28828149
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| You can also use this Office's postage-free complaint form which is available from this Office and all District Offices of the Home Affairs Department. The form can also be downloaded.
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You can lodge your complaint by visiting our office in person. Our duty officer will meet you to understand and receive your complaint.
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| If you cannot properly express your complaint in writing, you may choose to lodge your complaint by telephone: |
- your complaint should be simple and fairly self-evident, and can be explained over the phone in less than 15 minutes. In principle, your complaint should involve not more than two complainee organisations;
- to ensure accuracy of the complaint points, you will be asked to consent to telephone conversation being tape-recorded. If you refuse, you will be invited to lodge your complaint in writing or to come to the Office of The Ombudsman in person;
- a complaint form recording the complaint points will be posted to you for confirmation; and
- after you have signed and returned the complaint form, the complaint will be processed in writing in the normal way.
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The hotline of the telephone complaint service is 2629 0555.
Note: the audio record of any telephone complaint will
be deleted three months after the date of the telephone
complaint. |
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You can also lodge complaints by
sending emails to us.
This Office email is
complaints@ombudsman.hk. |
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This Office is required by law to keep
all complaints confidential. As information sent through
the internet is vulnerable to third party interception*,
we are especially cautious about communication via
email. To ensure the strictest confidentiality of the
case, we shall send our letters in sealed envelopes
marked Private and Confidential by post, for delivery to
the address provided by you.
If you wish to receive our substantive reply by
email, we can do so by encryption, in which case you
will have to make sure that you have a valid e-Cert and
provide a public key which sufficiently identifies you.
Where appropriate, we may invite your option of
receiving via email our letters and documents in the
form of PDF files which could only be opened with a
specific password assigned. The password will be sent to
you by post under confidential cover to ensure security. |
(*please refer
to the gazette
notice promulgated under section 11(2) of the Electronic
Transaction Ordinance by the Secretary for Information
Technology and Broadcasting on the format, manner and
procedure for submission of electronic information). |
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Inquiry
The Ombudsman may conduct an inquiry to resolve general
complaints more speedily. He will ask the organisation
under complaint to respond to him and, if he thinks fit,
the complainant in parallel. He will examine such
response, the complainant's view on it, if applicable,
together with any other relevant information or evidence
collected. He will, in conclusion, present his findings
to the complainant and make suggestions to the
organisation for remedy or improvement where necessary.
Where deeper and fuller probing is needed before the
case can be concluded, he will start a full
investigation. |
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Mediation
For cases involving only minor or no maladministration,
The Ombudsman may resolve them by mediation after
obtaining the consent of both the complainant and the
organisation under complaint. The two parties will meet
to explore a mutually acceptable solution, with an
investigator trained in mediation from the Office acting
as impartial mediator. |
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Full Investigation
Where a complaint involves issues of principle, systemic
flaws or serious maladministration, The Ombudsman will
conduct a full investigation, with prior notice to the
head of the organisation under complaint. A full
investigation is an in-depth inquiry and usually
involves the making of recommendations upon conclusion
to the head of the organisation for improvement or
remedy. |
The Ombudsman will not normally investigate :
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Actions by the Hong Kong Police Force, Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force or Independent Commission Against Corruption other than alleged breaches of "The Code on Access to Information". |
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Actions by departments or organisations not under
The Ombudsman Ordinance Schedule 1. |
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If the complaint has a statutory right of appeal or objection or a remedy through the courts. |
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If the complaint is about court proceedings, including any decision whether or not to prosecute any person for an offence. |
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For details, please refer to The Ombudsman Ordinance Schedule 2. |
Click here to link to the Complaint Handling Flow Chart
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