ABOUT THE BOARD

Our Work

The Board is authorized to appoint guardians for adults 18 years of age and over who are mentally incapable of making their own decisions about their personal affairs, financial matters or medical or dental treatments. In normal situation, application for guardianship will be proceeded only where there are no effective informal arrangements already in place or such an arrangement cannot be made. Therefore, the Board may decide to appoint a private guardian (a family member or friend) or the public guardian (Director of Social Welfare).

In addition, the Board may give the guardian the legal power to make important decisions relating to personal circumstances for such adults e.g. about his/her place of residence or consenting to his/her medical or dental treatment. The guardian may also be given legal power to manage a limited amount of that person's money, which currently is a maximum of HK$20,000 per month.

Our Identity

The Guardianship Board is a legal quasi-judicial tribunal of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Its central statutory role is to conduct hearings in order to make guardianship orders for people aged 18 years and over with decision making incapacities ("person concerned"). It may make a range of ancillary order as well.

The Board is an independent body corporate and operates under Part IVB of Mental Health Ordinance, Cap. 136, which provides functions and powers of the Board, most of the orders it can make, the principles and criteria to be applied when the Board is making decisions.

The sponsoring government bureau of the Guardianship Board is the Labour and Welfare Bureau.

The Guardianship Board has specific and limited powers. The Board can:

1. make guardianship orders to appoint a private guardian (a family member or friend) or the public guardian (Director of Social Welfare);  
2. grant the following powers to guardian so appointed:
   • to require the person concerned to reside at a specific place;
   • to bring the person concerned to a specific place and use reasonable force for the purpose;
   • to require the person concerned to attend at a place and time for medical or dental treatment, special treatment, occupation, education or training;
   • to consent to medical or dental treatment if the person concerned is incapable of understanding the general nature and effect of the treatment;
   • to require access to the person concerned to be given to any doctor, approved social worker or other person specified in the guardianship order;
   • to hold, receive or pay a specified monthly sum for the maintenance or other benefit of the person concerned (currently maximum at HK$20,000 per month).

Whom we serve?

The Board appoints legal guardian for person aged 18 or over who has mental handicap or mental disorder, e.g. mental illness, dementia, stroke and brain damage.

Our Office

The Board is situated at Unit 807, Hong Kong Pacific Centre, 28 Hankow Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon. The building is accessible to people with disabilities. The location is convenient for access by MTR or motor vehicles.

A location map of the Board is available from this website.

Chairperson of the Board: Ms Alexandra LO

Secretary to the Board: Ms Shera LAM