Why delayed reform stands in the way of class-action lawsuit over Hong Kong fire
Tai Po inferno prompts calls from legal experts for authorities to press ahead with long-stalled proposal on collective legal action
A former member of the estate’s owners’ corporation also urged authorities in an open letter on Saturday to begin recovering a HK$31 million (US$3.98 million) performance bond from the estate’s renovation contractor.
Last November’s fire prompted some residents to question whether the time had come for a better way to take collective legal action against those responsible for the tragedy in Tai Po, which claimed 168 lives and left nearly 5,000 others displaced.
Patrick Lau, 45, was among those who lost their homes at Wang Shing House – one of the estate’s residential blocks – and was struggling to sort out claims for his flat.
He voiced support for the creation of a mechanism that would allow for class-action lawsuits.
“If possible, we hope to see a class-action mechanism introduced. If it could help prevent such a tragedy from happening again, we would certainly support it,” Lau said.