Chapter 4

Customer Services

The Department is committed to develop and maintain a highly-motivated, caring and responsive workforce and keeps finding ways to better its performance through a customer-focused approach when delivering its services.

Performance Pledges

Processing of Applications

In 2012, the Department's actual performance exceeded the various targets set in the performance pledges for processing time.

Payment to Aided Persons and Service Providers

In the 2012-13 financial year, the Department paid out $513 million to lawyers/experts/other parties and $797 million to legally aided persons. During the year, the Department exceeded all performance targets on payment:

Analysis of Legal Aid Costs by Nature of Expenditure

Note: These include expenses for land and company searches, court fees and taxing fees, law costs draftsman's fee, expert's fee, copying charges, bank charges, and miscellaneous expenses.

Customer Feedback

With a view to enhancing our provision of services to public, the Department regularly conducted comprehensive surveys on customer feedback on different aspects of the legal aid services. The surveys covered the application and processing procedures for legal aid and the Department's in-house litigation services. Different methodologies such as on the spot collection and mail surveys were used depending on the points of contact and on the stages and types of services rendered to the customers. The overall customer satisfaction level remained high in 2012. The charts at Appendix 2 illustrate the major findings of the survey on customer feedback.

Customer Service Initiatives

Office Accommodation

To provide a more comfortable service area for the public, the reception areas of the Crime Section and the Information & Application Services Unit of the Application & Processing Division at Queensway Government Offices were fully renovated and came into service in November 2012. Upgraded barrier free access and facilities in compliance with latest barrier-free design standard such as tactile guide paths and accessible reception counters were adopted to enhance accessibility.

Expanded Phone Payment System

Since 2010, aided persons and the opposite parties in the legally aided proceedings could make payment of contributions or repay costs of the proceedings to the Department by instalment through the Payment by Phone Service (PPS). To afford greater convenience to the aided persons, the service was extended to one-off payment of contribution in 2012. Figures showed that PPS was gaining popularity among aided persons and the opposite parties as the preferred means of effecting payment to the Department.

Mobile version of Means Test Calculator

To further widen public access to our means test calculator, a mobile version was developed in July 2011 enabling prospective legal aid applicants to make a preliminary assessment of their financial eligibility for legal aid via mobile phone. In 2012, the mobile version means test calculator received 2 069 hits.

Enquiries, Complaints and Representations

The Department places great importance on enquiries, complaints and representations received from our customers. Customer's concerns and suggestions are viewed by the Department as a means of improving its service and ensuring the fulfilment of its statutory functions. The Departmental Customer Service Manager who is a senior directorate would meet with a team of Assistant Customer Service Managers and Officers regularly to review feedbacks and concerns on our services and recommend follow up actions where necessary. To enhance the public understanding on time and procedures required for release of interim and final payment of damages by the Department to aided persons upon conclusion of proceedings, in 2012 the Department has prepared a proforma letter to aided persons explaining such.

Complaints

The Department believes effective handling of complaints is essential to the delivery of quality legal aid services to the public and places a great deal of importance on complaints handling. The Assistant Director of Legal Aid/Policy and Development has been designated the Complaint Liaison Officer to coordinate the handling of all the complaints received. Members of the public may lodge complaints in person with the Customer Service Officers of individual sections or by telephone or in writing to the Department by post, email or by fax. All complaints received will be handled according to the Department's complaint handling mechanism which is in compliance with the Government's general complaint handling guidelines. The Department will investigate and handle all complaints impartially and expeditiously. In general, an interim reply will be given within 10 days if the complaint is complicated, and a substantive reply will be given within 30 days after receipt of a complaint.

Representations

To qualify for legal aid, applicants must pass both the means and merits tests. If anyone believes that a person should not have been given legal aid on means and/or merits, they can write to us and let us know the reasons. The Application and Processing Division is responsible for conducting review into representations against grant of legal aid on merits. Representations against grant of legal aid on means are handled by the Special Duties and Research Unit. The Department has published a leaflet to explain the investigation system and to address the frequently asked questions. Please click here to view the leaflet.

In 2012, the Special Duties and Research Unit received 42 representations against grant of legal aid on means and completed investigation in 37 cases. One case was not pursued as there was no concrete and specific evidence for the Department to conduct meaningful investigation. Five cases were referred to the police for investigation as to whether any offence was committed under section 23 of the Legal Aid Ordinance, Cap. 91 and in one case, whether an offence was also committed under section 18A of the Theft Ordinance, Cap. 210. As at 31 December 2012, there were two successful police prosecution. One of the aided persons was given a 12 months community service order. The other was fined $3,300.

Means representations received and investigation outcome in 2011-2012:

LAD's Hotline Service - the Interactive Voice Response System

The Department's hotline service provides a fast and convenient means for members of the public to learn about legal aid services. It has recorded messages in Cantonese, Putonghua and English on different aspects of legal aid services such as application procedures, eligibility criteria for civil and criminal legal aid, the aided person's liability to contribute towards the costs of aided proceedings etc. Where necessary, callers can speak to a staff member of the Department who will answer their queries concerning legal aid during office hours.