PRH 7 4000091
香港政府
GIS 新聞處
DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN
Wednesday, October 4, 1972
LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR RAINSTORM VICTIMS
The Government has provided funds to enable rainstorm victims
to be represented by a lawyer at the hearings of the Commission of
Inquiry into the June rainstorm disasters.
Legal aid has already been offered to all victims in connection
with any legal claims they may think they have against any person or
persons, including the Government.
Announcing the decision today a government spokesman said:
"Although the new provision is outside the scope of the normal legal
aid scheme, it was thought appropriate to give this to any victim who
is implicated or concerned in the subject matter of the inquiry and
who meets the scheme's criteria.
"This would help to dispel the misunderstanding of some victims
that there is selectivity and weighting of evidence in favour of those
people or organisations who are legally represented," he said.
He pointed out that this is particularly so, now that the
Commission is considering expert evidence on the cause of the landslides
and evidence from private contractors and architects who had been concerned
with the building works, including site formation in the Po Shan Road area.
/Meanwhile,
Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-233191