We publicised a commemorative publication “Access to Justice” in 2000 to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Department. Riding on the solid foundation laid by our predecessors, we continue to expand and enhance the legal aid services by upholding our mission that no one who qualifies for legal aid is denied access to justice because of a lack of means. It is heartening to see that the Department has been growing robustly with the community amidst all the changes and challenges.

Hong Kong has been developing in a sheer speed in the past 20 years. To be in tune with the pace of the community, apart from initiating reviews on the scope of our service and work process, we also introduce technology and new elements into our work. On the overall provision of legal aid services, we are very pleased to have the scope of the Ordinary Legal Aid Scheme (OLAS) and Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme (SLAS) expanded to cover more types of proceedings. Today we handle over 15,000 civil legal aid applications and over 3,000 criminal legal aid applications in a year, most of which are complicated and have far-reaching effect. We also conduct reviews on the criteria for assessing the financial eligibility of legal aid applicants and on the financial eligibility limit (FEL) from time to time. As one of the initiatives in the 2019 Policy Address, we have sought to further increase the FEL. As from 26 June 2020, the FELs of the OLAS and SLAS have increased to HK$420,400 and HK$2,102,000 respectively.

We always attach great importance to the provision of quality customer service to the general public. With the benefit of advance technology, we have invested our efforts and resources to improve our service with successful results through innovative ways. In the past two decades, we introduced a number of new services which included the Legal Aid Electronic Services Portal for the public to submit pre-application information online and for legal practitioners to submit legal aid case reports through the system, Means Tests Calculator on our website as a guide for the public to have a preliminary understanding of their financial eligibility for legal aid, Phone Payment Service, Automated Teller Machine and internet banking to afford greater convenience to the public in making payment, QR codes to enable instant and easy access via mobile devices to our leaflets, electronic appointment system for intended legal aid applicants to make appointment to obtain different types of application-related forms and documents through our website. To provide a more comfortable environment for our applicants, we have upgraded our waiting areas as well as the interview rooms in the Headquarters and the Kowloon Branch Office. It is also encouraging to know that our efforts and determination to provide quality service have earned the recognition from the community. We were selected for the Grand Award of The Ombudsman’s Awards for Public Organisations in 2009 and 2016 respectively and the Award of The Ombudsman’s Awards for Public Organisations in 2015. The Department was also awarded a Special Citation (Workplace Safety and Wellness) and Bronze Prize in Departmental Service Enhancement Award (Small Department Category) under the Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme 2019 in recognition of our efforts.

A transparent and impartial legal aid system plays a significant role in upholding the rule of law. In all these years, we value the opportunities to meet with the Legal Aid Services Council (LASC), Legislative Council, legal profession, stakeholders, non-governmental organisations and the public through different channels and activities. The fruitful exchange of views helps foster mutual understanding and provide insight for our continuous improvement.

The legal aid portfolio was transferred from the Office of the Chief Secretary for Administration (CS) to the Home Affairs Bureau in July 2007. Since July 2018, on the recommendation of LASC after a recent consultancy study, the Department has been re-positioned and made directly accountable to CS. Whatever the change has been and will be, the Director of Legal Aid has endeavoured to exercise the statutory functions in an impartial, transparent and accountable manner. The established independence in the delivery of legal aid services will never be affected.

Over the years, our dedicated staff members have worked with efficiency and professionalism, coupled with a strong sense of mission to serve the community. I hope this publication will, not only serve as a recollection of the contributions the Department made in the past half century, but also help inspire our readers that legal aid is indispensable to the course of justice and, by delivering quality legal aid services, the Department maintains the role as a cornerstone of the rule of law in Hong Kong.