Seminar on developments in anti-harassment law
On 26th February 2024, Denis Chang’s Chambers hosted a seminar discussing recent developments in anti-harassment remedies from criminal, civil and family law perspectives.
Isabel Tam and Jason Ko spoke on the interaction between various remedies in the evolving landscape, which now includes the new anti-doxxing offence under the amended Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486); tortious claims including the tort of harassment, defamation and intimidation; and statutory relief in the Family Court aiming at preventing escalations in domestic violence.
Drawing on their court experiences in anti-harassment cases, the speakers also shared practical tips on how to make the most out of the available remedies, discussing a range of scenarios, such as handling extremely urgent applications or dealing with adverse effects amplified by the use of social media.
Isabel Tam
Isabel is a Bar Scholar who graduated with a first class LLB and with distinction in her LLM. She also has an MA in competition law with distinction in the examination component, and was seconded to the Competition Commission.
Called to the Bar in 2013, Isabel practises in a wide range of areas, with an emphasis on public law, building management and property law, family law, commercial law and regulatory matters. Her experience in family law includes: children matters, ancillary relief, anti-suit injunction, and harassment-related proceedings.
Recent highlights of Isabel’s experience include NF v R [2023] 5 HKLRD 58, a breakthrough for same-sex parents, granting a declaration of “parentage at common law” to a same-sex couple, and AA v BB [2021] 2 HKLRD 1225, which has been hailed as a landmark victory for the LGBTQ community, granting rights to a separated same-sex couple who had co-parented children during their relationship. Isabel appeared for the Respondent, the non-biological mother within the same-sex relationship, and secured rights for her including guardianship and joint custody.
Visit Isabel’s profile for more details.
Jason Ko
Jason is a Charles Ching Scholar. He has been recognised by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2024 as a Rising Star in both “Commercial Disputes” and “Regulatory, Investigations and Crime” categories.
Since joining Chambers in 2019, Jason has acted in a wide range of civil and criminal matters, including successfully seeking injunctions restraining acts of harassment and defamation. He also acted for the defendant in the first Hong Kong trial of disclosing personal data without data subject’s consent, contrary to section 64 of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap 486): HKSAR v Ip Anthony Chun Hin (WKCC 1638/2022) (led by Philip Dykes SC).
Recently, Jason acted for the successful Plaintiffs in civil contempt proceedings where the Defendant has acted in breach of an anti-harassment injunction order: Chuang’s China Investments Limited v Zhou Changchun [2023] HKCFI 2427 (with Mr Richard Yip).
Find out more from Jason’s profile.
This article was first published on 28 February 2024.
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute legal advice and seeks to set out the general principles of the law. Detailed advice should therefore be sought from a legal professional relating to the individual merits and facts of a particular case. The photographs which appear in this article are included for decorative purposes only and should not be taken as a depiction of any matter to which the case is related. The views and opinions expressed in this article/material are solely those of the members authoring it and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Denis Chang’s Chambers, or of any other member or members of Denis Chang’s Chambers.