Thank you very much for the message. The content has been noted. We shall
reply to you, where appropriate, as soon as possible. (The above is
generated by an auto-reply programme to acknowledge receipt of your
message.)

多謝閣下的電子郵件，內容備悉。如有需要，我們會盡快作出回覆。(以上為電腦自動
發出的回覆信息。)

Dear Dr Wang,
        I refer to your email of 25 February 2021 seeking a review by the
Department under the Code on Access to Information (“the Code”) regarding
your request for access to information dated 5 February 2021.  
 
2.        Having reviewed the case, I have come to the view that your
request has been handled properly.  

3.        Paragraph 1.14 of the Code stipulates that departments are not
obliged to create a record which does not exist, or to provide on request
information which is already published, either free or at a charge.  In
these circumstances, an applicant for information can, where possible, be
directed to the appropriate source of the information.

4.        Owing to the confidential nature of dispute resolution
processes, we do not have the statistics requested.  Most of the
information requested is otherwise in the public domain and is readily
accessible upon research for published information.  We cannot be required
or expected to expend substantial time and manpower resources to research,
extract and/or compile the requested information.  The Department’s reply
of 25 February 2021 has, on a non-exhaustive basis, directed you to some
sources of the information by providing you with the relevant links.
 There is no failure to comply with the provisions of the Code.

5.        According to the Code, any person who believes that a department
has failed to properly apply any provision of the Code may complain to The
Ombudsman.  The Ombudsman’s address and contact details are –

30/F, China Merchants Tower
Shun Tak Centre
168-200 Connaught Road Central
Hong Kong
Telephone : 2629 0555
Fax : 2882 8149

Yours sincerely,

(Ms Gracie Foo)
Director of Administration
Administration & Development Division
Department of Justice
 
----- Forwarded by Maggie LY OR/DOJ/HKSARG on 17/03/2021 17:29 -----

From:        Simon H WANG [1]<[email address]>
To:        [2][email address]
Cc:        [3][email address], [4][email address]
Date:        25/02/2021 18:15
Subject:        Re: Fw: Request information about arbitration and dispute
resolution services in HK

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir/Madam
          Evoking Clause 1.25 of the Code on Access to Information I’d to
request a review of the reply and expect an answer within 7 calendar days.
A complaint will be lodged to the Ombudsman if this case is not properly
handled.
          Please refer to the statement about our expectations issued
earlier. 

Yours sincerely
Simon Wang

On Thu, 25 Feb 2021 at 15:12, <[5][email address]> wrote:
Dear Dr Wang,
        We refer to your email of 5 February 2021 to the Department of
Justice.  Thank you for your interest in researching into the development
of arbitration and other dispute resolution services in Hong Kong.
2.        Your attention is drawn to paragraph 1.14 of the Code on Access
to Information.  
3.        Save for the information requested under your questions (1) and
(2) (on which we have no statistics), most if not all of the information
requested is in the public domain and is readily accessible.  
4.        You may however find the following links relevant, which are not
meant to be exhaustive:-
        Department of Justice -
[6]https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/legal_dispute/...
        Hong Kong Legal Hub -  [7]https://www.legalhub.gov.hk/#
        Legislative Council -
 [8]https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr19-20/english...
        Judiciary – [9]https://www.judiciary.hk/en/home/index.h...

Regards,
Ms. Maggie Or
Executive Officer(Civil Division)1
Department of Justice
----- Forwarded by Maggie LY OR/DOJ/HKSARG on 25/02/2021 15:00 -----
From:        Simon H WANG <[10][email address]>
To:        [11][Department of Justice request email], [12][email address]
Cc:        Khaliq Martin <[13][email address]>
Date:        2021/02/05 下午 11:48
Subject:        Request information about arbitration and dispute
resolution services in HK

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir/Madam 

                 This is Dr Simon Wang, a lecturer from Hong Kong Baptist
University; I am teaching a General Education course in which Khaliq
Martin a virtual exchange student from Kent University is doing a project
with me on HK’s status as an international dispute resolution centre in
the context of Road and Belt Initiatives.  I’d like to raise the following
questions for the department to answer under the Code on Access to
Information. I’m copying this email Khaliq, who may add more questions by
replying to this email. Thanks in advance. 

Given that a committee has been established to promote HK as a leader in
arbitration services
[14]https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/legal_dispute/... , please
answer the following questions:

1.        The no. of arbitration cases that have been processed in HK each
year from 2015-2019? Please break down the number of cases by various
service providers.

2.        The no. of dispute resolution cases that have been processed in
HK each year from 2015-2019? Please break down the number of cases by
various service providers. 

3.        How competitive is HK relative to its international
counterparts, e.g, Singapore in arbitration and alternative dispute
resolution? 

4.        What roles has DoJ played in promoting arbitration and dispute
resolution services of HK in relation to Road and Belt Initiatives? 

5.        How does the DoJ promote arbitration and alternative dispute
resolution services of Hong Kong in the global community? 

6.        How effective have such promotional efforts been? Please provide
evaluation reports if available.  

7.        With which government departments and non-governmental
organisations or professional bodies has DoJ collaborated or exchanged
information for promoting arbitration and alternative dispute resolution
services? 

8.        Since the Introduction of National Security Law, it is reported
that some international companies have worried about HK’s rule of law and
its abilities to settle disputes professionally (e.g.
[15]https://www.ft.com/content/1070440a-0993...
What measures has DoJ taken or will take to promote arbitration and
dispute resolution services in HK amid concerns over National Security
Law?  

9.        Please provide reports on the work of the Advisory Committee on
Promotion of Arbitration since its establishment.  Please also refer us to
publicly available documents on the work of the committee. 

I have made some requests of information to DoJ before. My impression is
that the department staff was not very forthcoming in sharing information.
Therefore I hope an experienced and competent officer will be assigned to
this case. Please also note the following statement regarding our
expectations of how the request should be handled: 
While we appreciate the government’s efforts to maintain transparency and
accountability under the Code on Access to Information, we also notice
considerable variation among different departments and bureaux in their
responses to our Code on Access to Information applications. We would
appreciate it if your department/bureau could maintain professional
standards when answering our inquiries. Specifically, we expect answers to
each and every one of our questions separately rather than an answer
without clearly indicating which questions were addressed.  In case of
referencing to websites or documents, we need the specific paragraphs in
the source texts that are relevant to our questions to be highlighted. If
no information is available regarding some of our questions, please
indicate that is the case explicitly so we can follow up properly. We will
definitely ask our case to be reviewed by a more senior official in your
department/bureau if our request is not properly handled. If it is
believed that other department/bureau may possess information we request,
please feel free to forward the request including our personal
information.  

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance. 

Yours sincerely, 
Dr Simon Wang, Ph.D., FHEA 
Lecturer in English 
Language Centre 
Hong Kong Baptist University 
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong 
Phone: (852) 34117044
[16]http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php  
[17]Writing for the Public Project 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer

This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential
information intended for a specific individual and/or purpose. If you are
not the intended recipient, please delete this message and notify the
sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or
distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is
prohibited as it may be unlawful.

In addition, the University specifically denies any responsibility for the
accuracy or quality of information obtained through University E-mail
Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed in the email(s) are those of
the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of
the University. The University accepts no liability whatsoever for any
losses or damages that may be incurred or caused to any party as a result
of the use of such information.

--
Dr Simon Wang, Ph.D., FHEA 
Lecturer in English 
Language Centre 
Hong Kong Baptist University 
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong 
Phone: (852) 34117044
[18]http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php  
[19]Writing for the Public Project 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer
This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential
information intended for a specific individual and/or purpose. If you are
not the intended recipient, please delete this message and notify the
sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or
distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is
prohibited as it may be unlawful.
In addition, the University specifically denies any responsibility for the
accuracy or quality of information obtained through University E-mail
Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed in the email(s) are those of
the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of
the University. The University accepts no liability whatsoever for any
losses or damages that may be incurred or caused to any party as a result
of the use of such information.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/legal_dispute/...
7. https://www.legalhub.gov.hk/
8. https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr19-20/english...
9. https://www.judiciary.hk/en/home/index.h...
10. mailto:[email address]
11. mailto:[Department of Justice request email]
12. mailto:[email address]
13. mailto:[email address]
14. https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/legal_dispute/...
15. https://www.ft.com/content/1070440a-0993...
16. http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php
17. https://sites.google.com/a/hkbu.edu.hk/w...
18. http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php
19. https://sites.google.com/a/hkbu.edu.hk/w...

hide quoted sections

Dear Sir/Madam
            I’m writing to file a complaint against Department of Justice
regarding my request of information on arbitration services of Hong Kong.
Please kindly follow up.
Yours sincerely
Simon Wang
On Wed, 17 Mar 2021 at 18:07, 1 cd <[1][email address]> wrote:

Dear Dr Wang,
        I refer to your email of 25 February 2021 seeking a review by
the Department under the Code on Access to Information (“the Code”)
regarding your request for access to information dated 5 February 2021.
 
 
2.        Having reviewed the case, I have come to the view that your
request has been handled properly.  

3.        Paragraph 1.14 of the Code stipulates that departments are not
obliged to create a record which does not exist, or to provide on
request information which is already published, either free or at a
charge.  In these circumstances, an applicant for information can, where
possible, be directed to the appropriate source of the information.

4.        Owing to the confidential nature of dispute resolution
processes, we do not have the statistics requested.  Most of the
information requested is otherwise in the public domain and is readily
accessible upon research for published information.  We cannot be
required or expected to expend substantial time and manpower resources
to research, extract and/or compile the requested information.  The
Department’s reply of 25 February 2021 has, on a non-exhaustive basis,
directed you to some sources of the information by providing you with
the relevant links.  There is no failure to comply with the provisions
of the Code.

5.        According to the Code, any person who believes that a
department has failed to properly apply any provision of the Code may
complain to The Ombudsman.  The Ombudsman’s address and contact details
are –

30/F, China Merchants Tower
Shun Tak Centre
[2]168-200 Connaught Road Central
[3]Hong Kong
Telephone : 2629 0555
Fax : 2882 8149

Yours sincerely,

(Ms Gracie Foo)
Director of Administration
Administration & Development Division
Department of Justice
 
----- Forwarded by Maggie LY OR/DOJ/HKSARG on 17/03/2021 17:29 -----

From:        Simon H WANG [4]<[email address]>
To:        [5][email address]
Cc:        [6][email address], [7][email address]
Date:        25/02/2021 18:15
Subject:        Re: Fw: Request information about arbitration and
dispute resolution services in HK

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir/Madam
          Evoking Clause 1.25 of the Code on Access to Information I’d
to request a review of the reply and expect an answer within 7 calendar
days. A complaint will be lodged to the Ombudsman if this case is not
properly handled.
          Please refer to the statement about our expectations issued
earlier. 

Yours sincerely
Simon Wang

On Thu, 25 Feb 2021 at 15:12, <[8][email address]> wrote:
Dear Dr Wang,
        We refer to your email of 5 February 2021 to the Department of
Justice.  Thank you for your interest in researching into the
development of arbitration and other dispute resolution services in Hong
Kong.
2.        Your attention is drawn to paragraph 1.14 of the Code on
Access to Information.  
3.        Save for the information requested under your questions (1)
and (2) (on which we have no statistics), most if not all of the
information requested is in the public domain and is readily accessible.
 
4.        You may however find the following links relevant, which are
not meant to be exhaustive:-
        Department of Justice -
[9]https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/legal_dispute/...
        Hong Kong Legal Hub -  [10]https://www.legalhub.gov.hk/#
        Legislative Council -
 [11]https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr19-20/english...
        Judiciary – [12]https://www.judiciary.hk/en/home/index.h...

Regards,
Ms. Maggie Or
Executive Officer(Civil Division)1
Department of Justice
----- Forwarded by Maggie LY OR/DOJ/HKSARG on 25/02/2021 15:00 -----
From:        Simon H WANG <[13][email address]>
To:        [14][Department of Justice request email], [15][email address]
Cc:        Khaliq Martin <[16][email address]>
Date:        2021/02/05 下午 11:48
Subject:        Request information about arbitration and dispute
resolution services in HK

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir/Madam 

                 This is Dr Simon Wang, a lecturer from Hong Kong
Baptist University; I am teaching a General Education course in which
Khaliq Martin a virtual exchange student from Kent University is doing a
project with me on HK’s status as an international dispute resolution
centre in the context of Road and Belt Initiatives.  I’d like to raise
the following questions for the department to answer under the Code on
Access to Information. I’m copying this email Khaliq, who may add more
questions by replying to this email. Thanks in advance. 

Given that a committee has been established to promote HK as a leader in
arbitration services
[17]https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/legal_dispute/... , please
answer the following questions:

1.        The no. of arbitration cases that have been processed in HK
each year from 2015-2019? Please break down the number of cases by
various service providers.

2.        The no. of dispute resolution cases that have been processed
in HK each year from 2015-2019? Please break down the number of cases by
various service providers. 

3.        How competitive is HK relative to its international
counterparts, e.g, Singapore in arbitration and alternative dispute
resolution? 

4.        What roles has DoJ played in promoting arbitration and dispute
resolution services of HK in relation to Road and Belt Initiatives? 

5.        How does the DoJ promote arbitration and alternative dispute
resolution services of Hong Kong in the global community? 

6.        How effective have such promotional efforts been? Please
provide evaluation reports if available.  

7.        With which government departments and non-governmental
organisations or professional bodies has DoJ collaborated or exchanged
information for promoting arbitration and alternative dispute resolution
services? 

8.        Since the Introduction of National Security Law, it is
reported that some international companies have worried about HK’s rule
of law and its abilities to settle disputes professionally (e.g.
[18]https://www.ft.com/content/1070440a-0993...
What measures has DoJ taken or will take to promote arbitration and
dispute resolution services in HK amid concerns over National Security
Law?  

9.        Please provide reports on the work of the Advisory Committee
on Promotion of Arbitration since its establishment.  Please also refer
us to publicly available documents on the work of the committee. 

I have made some requests of information to DoJ before. My impression is
that the department staff was not very forthcoming in sharing
information. Therefore I hope an experienced and competent officer will
be assigned to this case. Please also note the following statement
regarding our expectations of how the request should be handled: 
While we appreciate the government’s efforts to maintain transparency
and accountability under the Code on Access to Information, we also
notice considerable variation among different departments and bureaux in
their responses to our Code on Access to Information applications. We
would appreciate it if your department/bureau could maintain
professional standards when answering our inquiries. Specifically, we
expect answers to each and every one of our questions separately rather
than an answer without clearly indicating which questions were
addressed.  In case of referencing to websites or documents, we need the
specific paragraphs in the source texts that are relevant to our
questions to be highlighted. If no information is available regarding
some of our questions, please indicate that is the case explicitly so we
can follow up properly. We will definitely ask our case to be reviewed
by a more senior official in your department/bureau if our request is
not properly handled. If it is believed that other department/bureau may
possess information we request, please feel free to forward the request
including our personal information.  

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance. 

Yours sincerely, 
Dr Simon Wang, Ph.D., FHEA 
Lecturer in English 
Language Centre 
Hong Kong Baptist University 
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong 
Phone: (852) 34117044
[19]http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php  
[20]Writing for the Public Project 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer

This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential
information intended for a specific individual and/or purpose. If you
are not the intended recipient, please delete this message and notify
the sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or
distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it,
is prohibited as it may be unlawful.

In addition, the University specifically denies any responsibility for
the accuracy or quality of information obtained through University
E-mail Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed in the email(s) are
those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views and
opinions of the University. The University accepts no liability
whatsoever for any losses or damages that may be incurred or caused to
any party as a result of the use of such information.

--
Dr Simon Wang, Ph.D., FHEA 
Lecturer in English 
Language Centre 
Hong Kong Baptist University 
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong 
Phone: (852) 34117044
[21]http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php  
[22]Writing for the Public Project 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer
This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential
information intended for a specific individual and/or purpose. If you
are not the intended recipient, please delete this message and notify
the sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or
distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it,
is prohibited as it may be unlawful.
In addition, the University specifically denies any responsibility for
the accuracy or quality of information obtained through University
E-mail Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed in the email(s) are
those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views and
opinions of the University. The University accepts no liability
whatsoever for any losses or damages that may be incurred or caused to
any party as a result of the use of such information.

--
Dr Simon Wang, Ph.D., FHEA 
Lecturer in English 
Language Centre 
Hong Kong Baptist University 
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong 
Phone: (852) 34117044
[23]http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php  
[24]Writing for the Public Project 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer

This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential
information intended for a specific individual and/or purpose. If you are
not the intended recipient, please delete this message and notify the
sender and the University immediately. Any disclosure, copying, or
distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is
prohibited as it may be unlawful.

In addition, the University specifically denies any responsibility for the
accuracy or quality of information obtained through University E-mail
Facilities. Any views and opinions expressed in the email(s) are those of
the author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of
the University. The University accepts no liability whatsoever for any
losses or damages that may be incurred or caused to any party as a result
of the use of such information.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.google.com/maps/search/168-2...
3. https://www.google.com/maps/search/168-2...
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. mailto:[email address]
7. mailto:[email address]
8. mailto:[email address]
9. https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/legal_dispute/...
10. https://www.legalhub.gov.hk/
11. https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr19-20/english...
12. https://www.judiciary.hk/en/home/index.h...
13. mailto:[email address]
14. mailto:[Department of Justice request email]
15. mailto:[email address]
16. mailto:[email address]
17. https://www.doj.gov.hk/en/legal_dispute/...
18. https://www.ft.com/content/1070440a-0993...
19. http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php
20. https://sites.google.com/a/hkbu.edu.hk/w...
21. http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php
22. https://sites.google.com/a/hkbu.edu.hk/w...
23. http://lc.hkbu.edu.hk/staff_simon.php
24. https://sites.google.com/a/hkbu.edu.hk/w...

hide quoted sections