The Race Discrimination Bill will not ignite a mass of lawsuits, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Carrie Lam says.

Speaking on a radio talk show today, Mrs Lam said previous experience with the Equal Opportunities Commission showed most discrimination disputes can be resolved.

Since 1996, the commission has handled 7,000 complaints, almost all of them were finally settled through intermediation while only a dozen cases went to court for arbitration.

Mrs Lam said the commission will implement the anti-racial discrimination law once passed by the Legislative Council, and set out procedures for handling discrimination cases, including complaint investigations, intermediation among the parties concerned, and referral to the District Court.

Forming the law against racial discrimination will help Hong Kong further align itself with prevailing international human rights conventions, she said.