The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development has advised the Law Reform Commission of the Administration’s response to the recommendations in the Commission’s report on Civil Liability for Unsafe Products, published in February 1998. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development said:

“The Commission recommends in this report that a ‘strict liability’ regime should be established to give an additional basis for aggrieved parties to seek compensation for injuries and damages arising from unsafe products. This proposal involves very complex and controversial issues. The then Trade and Industry Panel of the Legislative Council were consulted in 1999. There has been strong objection to the proposal from trade representatives. Some members of the trade considered it unfair to hold a party such as an importer liable if that party did not have full control over the safety of the product he supplied, while others were concerned about the likely increase in litigation and compliance costs.

As the community is unlikely to reach any consensus on this matter in the near future, the Administration does not intend to take forward the Commission’s proposal at this juncture.”