| The rate of interest on the Director’s First Charge registered on an aided person’s home pursuant to Section 18A (3A) of the Legal Aid Ordinance, Cap. 91 will change from 2.099% to 1.822% on 1 June 2010 in accordance with the provisions of the Legal Aid (Charge on Property) (Rate of Interest) Regulation. The new rate will apply from 1 June 2010 to 31 May 2011.
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| If you are required to pay by instalments any contributions towards the costs of your legal aid case or any sum due to the Department pursuant to a written agreement, you can now do so with the Payment by Phone Service (PPS) by using a tone phone or via the Internet.
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| If you are interested in using this new payment service, you may visit PPS website at http://www.ppshk.com or ring 900 00 222 329 / 2311 9876 for application of service.
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| The Controlling Officer's Environmental Report 2009 of the Legal Aid
Department has been issued. Please view it at here.
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The Manual for Legal Aid Practitioners has been updated and revised. For details, please click here.
| With effect from 27 February 2010, the amount of personal allowances to be deducted from income when computing an applicant's financial resources has been adjusted. |
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| For details of the adjusted allowances, please click here. |
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| For information on how an applicant's financial resources is calculated, please click here. |
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| In a further effort to promote the legal aid services among ethnic minorities residing in Hong Kong, the Department has published two more leaflets on legal aid in Vietnamese and Punjabi. The leaflets together with the other leaflets in Bengali, Hindi, Indonesian, Nepali, Tagalog, Thai and Urdu are now available at any offices of the Department or they can be downloaded from the Department's website. They are also available at relevant Consulate Offices, the Correctional Services Department, Social Welfare Department, Judiciary Resources Centre, Police Stations, Labour Department, Public Enquiries Service Centres of the Home Affairs Department and hospitals under Hospital Authority.
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| The Departmental Report 2008 of the Legal Aid Department has been issued.
Please view it at here.
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| Legally aided persons involved in civil proceedings including matrimonial proceedings will now be given funding support for mediation as an alternative means of resolving the disputes for which they are given legal aid as a result of the recently implemented CJR Reform. Assigned solicitors acting for legally aided persons must obtain prior approval from the Director before engaging mediators. |
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| The rate of interest on the Director's First Charge registered on an aided person's home pursuant to Section 18A (3A) of the Legal Aid Ordinance, Cap. 91 will change from 2.567% to 2.099% on 1 June 2009 in accordance with the provisions of the Legal Aid (Charge on Property) (Rate of Interest) Regulation. The new rate will apply from 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2010. |
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| The financial eligibility limits for the Ordinary Legal Aid Scheme ("OLAS") and the Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme ("SLAS") were increased and took effect on 29 May 2009. For OLAS, the limit has gone up from $165,700 to $175,800. The limit for SLAS is now $488,400, up from $460,300. |
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| The Legal Aid Department has on 30th December 2008 launched an electronic platform
"E-Portal" to provide a gateway through which members of the public and
panel lawyers can gain access to information and can transact certain legal
aid business with the Department online to facilitate improved
communication. For access to the E-Portal, please click here. |
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| The E-Portal will: |
- Allow solicitors / counsel to submit legal aid panel entry / data update forms;
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- Allow assigned solicitors / counsel to submit case report forms;
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- Allow panel lawyers to view or download their recent panel update information which was submitted electronically;
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- Allow members of the public to submit pre-application information for civil and criminal legal aid;
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- Provide a "for reference purpose only" legal aid eligibility calculator for members of the public;
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