Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Until 1995, there was no law prohibiting sexual harassment in Hong Kong, except where it rose to the level of a criminal offence or a traditional tort. However, the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (which was enacted in 1995 and came into force in 1996) now expressly defines and prohibits sexual harassment in a wide range of fields, including employment, education, and the provision of goods and services. Part 1 of this paper outlines the areas that are covered by the new law, which are intended to be quite broad, particularly in work-related fields. Parts 2 and 3 analyse the definition of sexual harassment under Hong Kong law.These sections draw upon some cases from jurisdictions with similar laws (since only few cases have been decided here in Hong Kong). [Occasional Paper No. 4] URL: [http://www0.hku.hk/ccpl/pub/occasionalpapers/index.html]