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CONFIDENTIAL #B
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T
FINANCIAL & STAFFING IMPLICATIONS
80.
One major possible financial and staffing implcation has become apparent since earlier submissions on this Bill. Legal advice is that the enactment of this Bill will result in a legal commitment for the Government to provide much more legal aid in the Magistrates' Courts. The complete extent of this commitment, or the best means to meet it, is not quite certain. But the best estimate of the additional annual recurrent expenditure necessary is in the region of $100 million to meet lawyers fees and staff costs in the Legal Aid Department and consequential costs in the Judiciary, in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and in the Legal Department. The above does not
not include the
possible requirement for one whole new Magistracy involving capital expenditure of about another $100 million. of the size of the resources involved (and
budgetary difficulties) and the changes which will be required to the present
present operation of legal aid in the Magistracies by the Law Society, it may be necessary implement this major extension in a phased separate submission
on the subject of how extend legal aid to the magistracies in the light of the
Bill of Rights and
prepared.
In view
present
manner.
to
A
and when to
practice elsewhere is now being
PUBLIC REACTION
81.
the
The public would generally welcome introduction of the Bill into the Legislative Council and
take it positively as an indication of the Government's resolution to introduce further measures for the protection of human rights. However, there is likely to be criticism from different sectors of the community for different
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