Year
1994
1995
- 26
-
Percentage
79%
70%
75%
1996 (January - October)
As regards criminal legal aid cases in the same period, on average 37% of such cases were assigned out to solicitors in the private sector to act as instructing solicitors. The details are as follows:
Year
1994
1995
1996 (January-October)
Percentage
36%
41%
37%
In the past three years, on average 83% of criminal cases were also assigned to barristers in the private sector to act as advocates in Courts. The details are as follows:
End
(c)
Year
1994
1995
1996 (January - October)
Percentage
70%
91%
87%
In the past three years, on average about $210 million a year has been spent on legal costs on cases assigned to lawyers in the private sector. The details are as follows:
Financial Year
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
Legal costs
$180.8 million
$212.5 million
$238.3 million
(d)
Hitherto, the Legal Aid Department has not kept statistics on the number or the nature of complaints against assigned lawyers. However, no assigned lawyer has been removed from the Legal Aid Panel for professional misconduct. The Legal Aid Department now intends to keep and analyse such information systematically as part of its computerization programme. This plan is currently being considered in the context of the Feasibility Study of the Legal Aid Department's Information Systems Strategy.
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