The campaign, launched this month, was revealed by an anti-domestic violence group yesterday when the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau tabled the proposed amendments in the Legislative Council for a second reading.

The bureau this month announced its proposal to change the law to allow the victims of abuse by all relatives, not just spouses, to seek court-ordered injunctions.

A court will also be able to order abusers to undergo counselling.

A bills committee will be formed to discuss the amendments, which are expected to become law next year.

So far, the 13 women's groups and Amnesty International have supported the proposal, together with legislators and several political parties.

Chung Yuen-yi, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of the Reform of the Domestic Violence Ordinance, set up early this year to look at the ordinance and campaign organiser, said the signature campaign could pressure the government to make the changes.

'We have been fighting to change the ordinance for 20 years,' Ms Chung said. 'Now the government is finally willing to change it, and we just want the law to be better and complete.'

She said she would use the petition to lobby bureau officials.

Penned by the alliance, the proposal contains six extra amendments to the revised law, including criminalisation and allowing someone in a same-sex relationship to apply for an injunction.

Another suggestion is a specialised domestic violence court to handle both criminal and civil cases. The alliance wants the law changed to allow victims to be granted an injunction as soon as they apply for it.

It also wants the law to have a clear definition of domestic violence, and to cover mental abuse and stalking.

University of Hong Kong assistant social work professor Chan Ko-ling said a domestic violence court could allow judges to listen to both civil and criminal cases involving the same family. This would help a judge better understand their needs and risks when deciding on matters such as custody of children.

Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow Yat-ngok, in delivering the bill's second reading yesterday, rejected the need for a definition of domestic violence because the courts had already covered it.

He also said there was no need to criminalise abuses in the domestic violence ordinance as acts of violence were covered by other criminal laws.

A spokesman added that the ordinance was 'civil in nature and incorporating criminal provisions will add complications to the legislation'.

'We are lobbying political parties,' Ms Chung said. 'The Civic Party and The Frontier have agreed to endorse our proposal.'