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A total of 298 individual legal professionals and 22 law firms were commended today (January 5) at the award presentation ceremony of the Home Affairs Bureau's Recognition Scheme for Provision of Pro Bono Legal Services.
The Recognition Scheme aims to recognise pro bono legal services provided by legal professionals in Hong Kong for the community, and to commend those who have made such contributions, thereby encouraging more legal professionals to volunteer to provide more free legal services to the public.
The Acting Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui, and the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mrs Betty Fung, officiated at the award presentation ceremony.
Ms Hui said that the ceremony is included as part of the "Appreciate Hong Kong" Campaign. She added that the provision of pro bono services by legal professionals to those in need embraces the values of the Campaign on appreciation, gratitude, understanding and adding value for the public good.
She also said that the Government holds the tradition of the legal profession in providing pro bono services to the community in high regard. Over the years, many legal professionals in Hong Kong have actively provided services for the public good, benefiting many individuals and organisations across the territory, she said.
The Government provides subvention for the Duty Lawyer Service to run the Free Legal Advice Scheme (FLAS) to provide free preliminary legal advice to members of the public. At present, there are over 1 000 lawyers participating in the FLAS, handling about 6 600 cases a year. The Government also runs the Pilot Scheme to Provide Legal Advice for Litigants in Person, which was launched in 2013 to provide free legal advice on civil procedural matters for litigants in person. In light of the positive feedback from clients and the Judiciary, the Steering Committee on the Provision of Legal Advice for Litigants in Person has recommended that the Pilot Scheme be turned into a regular service.
Separately, the Hong Kong Bar Association runs the Bar Free Legal Service Scheme, while the Law Society of Hong Kong operates the Free Legal Consultation Service, the Personal Injuries Hotline, and the Free Legal Advice Service on Building Management in collaboration with the Home Affairs Department. Various non-governmental organisations have also engaged hundreds of lawyers in providing various forms of free legal advice and consultation services to the public, as well as organising free activities to enhance the public's legal knowledge.
The Recognition Scheme has two categories of awards, namely the Individuals' Award and the Companies' Award. The Individuals' Award recognises barristers, solicitors, pupils and trainee solicitors who have provided at least 25 hours of pro bono legal services within the recognition period from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015. The Companies' Award recognises qualified law firms that have demonstrated significant efforts in providing pro bono legal services in respect of their company policies, visions or missions, and whose legal professionals have also provided the required aggregate hours of pro bono legal services.
For more details of the Recognition Scheme, please visit www.hab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/District_Community_and_Public_Relations/recognition.htm.
Ends/Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Issued at HKT 19:34
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