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Interest Groups
Operational feedback from stakeholders will assist in the delivery of high quality and effective legal aid services. Since its establishment in September 1996, Council has held meetings with legal aid panel lawyers to exchange views on different areas of legal aid issues. During 2001-2002, a formal structure was set up for broad participation by panel lawyers. In 2003, Council invited non-government organizations to join the Interest Groups. In 2004, District Council members and academics were also invited. As a result, all three Interest Groups grew in membership with broadened composition.
Interest Group on the Scope of Legal Aid
The Working Party on Scope of Legal Aid met in April 2005 to discuss selection and prioritization of proposals on extending the scope of legal aid by the Interest Group on Scope of Legal Aid chaired by Mr Ruy Barretto. Subsequently, Council endorsed the Working Party's proposal that the Interest Group should study the four areas in the priority proposed by the Working Party.
Reports from the Interest Group on the four priority areas (see Chapter 6) would be submitted to Council for consideration.
Interest Group on Processing of Legal Aid Application
The Interest Group chaired by Mr Billy Ma identified a few areas where improvements could be made in processing legal aid applications. These include statistics on refusal of legal aid, reasons for refusing legal aid, trainee solicitors' right of audience before the Masters and other issues. Legal Aid Department's (LAD's) response to the points raised by the Interest Group was discussed by Council in October 2005. Council has also followed up on the Interest Group's suggestion to the Registrar of the High Court seeking his consideration to assign the same Master to see through a legal aid appeal where there had been an adjournment of the appeal hearing.
Interest Group on Assignment System and Monitoring of Assigned-out Cases
The Interest Group chaired by Mr Justein Wong met the Ombudsman in June 2005 regarding a direct investigation into the monitoring of assigned out cases by LAD. Consequent to the release of the Ombudsman's Report in January 2006, the Interest Group held a meeting in March 2006 to review the findings and recommendations of the Report. Matters discussed include the use of checklists by assigned lawyers, the involvement of senior partners of solicitors firms of any of the solicitors handling legal aid cases who repeatedly ignore LAD's reminders and reduction of legal aid assignment limits.
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