The Government has decided to postpone the consultation on the legislative proposals for the racial discrimination law until after the Legislative Council election in September, Secretary for Home Affairs Dr Patrick Ho says.

Speaking in the Legislative Council, Dr Ho said in the run-up to the election, public attention is expected to be focused on election activities and people will inevitably be distracted from discussions on the legislation against racial discrimination.

"In addition, we do not want to see discussions on the legislative proposals politicised amid the increasingly heated election campaigns," he added.

Dr Ho said the Government will publish the consultation paper after the LegCo election in September for public consultation for three months.

"We hope to introduce the relevant bill into the LegCo during the 2004-05 legislative year," he said.

Bill should cover 6 types of discrimination

He said the proposed consultation document will put forward detailed legislative proposals, specifying acts of racial discrimination which will be regarded as illegal. 

It is proposed that the bill should cover six types of discrimination :

* direct racial discrimination;

* indirect racial discrimination;

* discrimination on the basis of the race or ethnic origin of the spouse or a relative of a person;

* discrimination by way of victimisation;

* racial harassment; and

* racial vilification.

Under the Bill, it is proposed that protection against racial discrimination should cover the following fields:

* employment;

* education;

* goods, facilities, services and premises;

* advisory and statutory bodies;

* pupillage and tenancy in barristers' chambers;

* clubs; and

* Government.

Two options regarding implementation to be put forward

Regarding the question of which body should be responsible for the implementation if the bill is endorsed, Dr Ho said the consultation document will put forward two options.

First, it is proposed that the Equal Opportunities Commission implement the relevant legislation.

Second, an alternative is to set up a "Commission for Racial Equality" to take up the relevant work.