{"id":29194,"date":"2025-01-07T13:20:07","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T13:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prelive-tdw.visibleone.app\/insight-and-news\/legal-update-recent-discrimination-case-uplifts-potential-damages-for-injury-to-feelings\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T04:23:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T04:23:42","slug":"legal-update-recent-discrimination-case-uplifts-potential-damages-for-injury-to-feelings","status":"publish","type":"insight-and-news","link":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/insight-and-news\/legal-update-recent-discrimination-case-uplifts-potential-damages-for-injury-to-feelings\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Update: Recent Discrimination Case Uplifts Potential Damages for &#8220;Injury to Feelings&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n    \n\n<div style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/wp-content\/themes\/tanner-de-witt\/images\/insightdetails.jpeg')\"\n    class=\"insight-news-detail-hero\" id=\"insight-news-detail-hero\">\n\n\t\t<div style=\"background-color:\" class=\"insight-news-detail-hero-overlay \"><\/div>\n            <div class=\"z-[0]\">\n                <div class=\"insight-news-breadcrumbs flex items-end practice-areas-featured-breadcrumbs \">\n                    <a class=\"page-link no-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/\">Home<\/a>                <\/div>\n\n\n                <div class=\"hero-title\">\n                    <h1>\n                        Legal Update: Recent Discrimination Case Uplifts Potential Damages for &#8220;Injury to Feelings&#8221;                    <\/h1>\n                <\/div>\n                \n                    <div style=\"\" class=\"hero-date \">\n\n                        <span class=\"month\">Jan<\/span>\n                        <span class=\"day\">07<\/span>\n                        <span class=\"year\">2025<\/span>\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n    \n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script >\n    (function () {\n        document.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", () => {\n\n            const breadCrumbsContainer = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\".practice-areas-featured-breadcrumbs\"));\n\n            breadCrumbsContainer.forEach(container => {\n                const breadCrumbLinks = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll('.page-link'));\n                const breadCrumbSeperators = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll('.separator'));\n\n                if (Array.from(breadCrumbLinks).length === 1) {\n                    const homeNode = breadCrumbLinks[0];\n\n                    if (!homeNode) {\n                        return\n                    }\n\n                    const postTypeNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n                    postTypeNode.textContent = \"Insights and News\";\n                    container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                    container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', postTypeNode)\n                    breadCrumbLinks.push(postTypeNode);\n\n                    if (\"Insights\") {\n                        const categoryNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n\n                        categoryNode.textContent = \"Insights\";\n                        container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                        container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', categoryNode)\n                        breadCrumbLinks.push(categoryNode);\n                    }\n\n\n                    const titleNode = homeNode.cloneNode(true);\n\n                    titleNode.textContent = \"Legal Update: Recent Discrimination Case Uplifts Potential Damages for &#8220;Injury to Feelings&#8221;\";\n                    container.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<span class=\"separator practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash\">\/<\/span>`)\n                    container.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', titleNode)\n                    breadCrumbLinks.push(titleNode);\n\n\n\n\n                }\n\n                breadCrumbLinks.forEach((link, index) => {\n\n                    link.classList.add('practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-name');\n                    const origin = window.location.origin;\n                    const href = window.location.href;\n\n                    const originSplitter = window.location.href.includes(\"insight-and-news\") ? \"insight-and-news\" : window.location.href.includes('insights-and-news') ? \"insights-and-news\" : \"\"\n\n                    const paths = href.split(originSplitter);\n                    const links = paths[1].split(\"\/\").filter(Boolean)\n\n\n                    const resolvedOrigin = originSplitter ? (href.split(originSplitter)[0] || \"\") : (origin + \"\/\")\n\n                    if (index === 0) {\n\n                        if (!originSplitter) {\n                            link.href = origin\n                        } else {\n                            link.href = resolvedOrigin;\n                        }\n\n\n                    } else if (index === 1) {\n                        link.href = resolvedOrigin + originSplitter\n\n                    }\n                    else if (index === 2) {\n                        console.log(links)\n                        link.href = resolvedOrigin + originSplitter + \"\/\" + (links[0] || \"\")\n                    }\n                    else if (index === 3) {\n\n                        link.href = resolvedOrigin + originSplitter + \"\/\" + (links[0] || \"\") + \"\/\" + (links[1] || \"\")\n\n                    }\n\n\n\n                    \/\/ const words = link.textContent.split(\" \")\n                    \/\/ if (words.length > 4) {\n                    \/\/     link.textContent = words.slice(0, 4).join(\" \") + \"...\"\n                    \/\/ }\n\n                })\n\n                breadCrumbSeperators.forEach(separator => {\n                    separator.textContent = \"\/\"\n                    separator.classList.add('practice-areas-featured-breadcrumb-item-slash')\n                });\n\n\n            })\n\n\n        })\n        removeDivTag()\n    })();\n\n    function removeDivTag() {\n        console.log(\"remasfljas\");\n        const editorContainer = document.querySelector(\".editor-wysiwyg\");\n        \/\/ editorContainer.innerText = editorContainer.innerText.replace(\"<\/div>\", \"\")\n        Array.from(editorContainer.childNodes).forEach(el => {\n            if (el.textContent.includes(\"<\/div>\")) {\n                el.textContent = \"\"\n            }\n        })\n    }\n<\/script>\n\n<div class=\"editor-wysiwyg my-[40px]\">\n<div class=\"single-section\">\n<p>In Hong Kong, statutory damages for \u201cinjury to feelings\u201d can be awarded to victims of unlawful discrimination pursuant to specific provisions of the relevant discrimination Ordinances. The amount of damages for injury to feelings broadly follows the so called \u201c<em>Vento\u00a0<\/em>scale\u201d established in the United Kingdom case of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bailii.org\/ew\/cases\/EWCA\/Civ\/2002\/1871.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police<\/em>\u00a0[2002] EWCA Civ 1871<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In the recent District Court decision of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/legalref.judiciary.hk\/lrs\/common\/ju\/ju_frame.jsp?DIS=164819&amp;currpage=T\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>\u9673\u8a60\u7434<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>\u53ca<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>\u7b2c\u4e00\u6d41\u884c\u92fc\u7434\u6559\u5ba4\u6709\u9650\u516c\u53f8<\/em>\u00a0[2024] HKDC 2046<\/a><em><u>\u00a0<\/u><\/em>(\u201c<strong>Decision<\/strong>\u201d) the Court awarded damages for injury to feelings to a victim of disability discrimination, and reviewed and adjusted for inflation the applicable bands on the\u00a0<em>Vento\u00a0<\/em>scale as applied in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>We have previously written about the increase in the bands in the UK\u00a0in the case of\u00a0<em><u>Da\u2019Bell v NSPCC<\/u><\/em> and predicted that it was likely that Hong Kong would see a corresponding increase. This Decision confirms that Hong Kong will increase the bands from time to time, including by reference to the effects of inflation. Below is a table showing the progression of the increase in the bands in the UK and in Hong Kong:]<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-23880 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-01-07-143742.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1260\" height=\"389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-01-07-143742.png 1260w, https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-01-07-143742-300x93.png 300w, https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-01-07-143742-1024x316.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-01-07-143742-768x237.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1260px) 100vw, 1260px\" \/><\/p>\n<figure class=\"\"><img class=\"\" sizes=\"\" srcset=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"\" height=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>We consider this to be a necessary and timely adjustment of the bands of compensation on the <em>Vento<\/em> scale (which represents about 60% increase from the original range in each band). This also means that employers may be at greater risk of financial damages should they be found in breach of any act of unlawful discrimination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong><em>Russell Bennett and Mark Chiu<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For more information on employment matters, please contact:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/our-people\/russell-bennett\/\">Russell Bennett<\/a><br \/>Partner |\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:russellbennett@tannerdewitt.com\">Email<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/our-people\/mark-chiu\/\">Mark Chiu<\/a><br \/>Consultant |\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:markchiu@tannerdewitt.com\">Email<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Disclaimer: This publication is general in nature and is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Hong Kong, statutory damages for \u201cinjury to feelings\u201d can be awarded to victims of unlawful discrimination pursuant to specific provisions of the relevant discrimination Ordinances. The amount of damages for injury to feelings broadly follows the so called \u201cVento\u00a0scale\u201d established in the United Kingdom case of\u00a0Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police\u00a0[2002] EWCA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"insight-category":[1121],"insight-month":[1158],"insight-practice-area":[],"insight-year":[1147],"class_list":["post-29194","insight-and-news","type-insight-and-news","status-publish","hentry","insight-category-legal-updates-and-insights","insight-month-january","insight-year-1147"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/29194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/insight-and-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/29194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31745,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-and-news\/29194\/revisions\/31745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29194"},{"taxonomy":"insight-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-category?post=29194"},{"taxonomy":"insight-month","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-month?post=29194"},{"taxonomy":"insight-practice-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-practice-area?post=29194"},{"taxonomy":"insight-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tannerdewitt.com\/zh-hant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insight-year?post=29194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}