*********************************************************
The Government today (June 13) announced that the financial eligibility limits for legal aid would be revised upward effective from Friday (June 15).
A government spokesman explained that to be eligible for legal aid, a person's disposable financial resources must not exceed the limits prescribed in the Legal Aid Ordinance.
"These limits are reviewed annually to take account of movements in Consumer Price Index to maintain their real value," the spokesman said.
"To reflect the 2.5 per cent increase in the CPI(C) in the latest annual review, the limits under the Ordinary Legal Aid Scheme, which are also applicable to criminal legal aid, will be adjusted upward from $158,300 to $162,300, while the corresponding limit under the Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme will be adjusted from $439,800 to $450,800.
"At the same time, consequential changes are also made to the scale of contributions payable by legally aided persons," the spokesman added.
The adjustments are made following consultations with the Legal Aid Services Council and the Legislative Council Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services.
The revised financial eligibility limits and the scale of contribution payable by legal aided persons will be available at the website of the Legal Aid Department (www.lad.gov.hk).
Ends/Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:12
NNNN
