XN000022-1994-07-21 — Page 11

10

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1994

THE

KEVIEW

ON

HAS

EACH

WORKING GROUP ON LEGAL AID POLICY RECONVENED REJECTED THE PROPOSAL TO CHARGE AN APPLICATION FEE OF $300 APPLICANT UNDER THE STANDARD LEGAL AID SCHEME.

THIS PROPOSAL WAS PUT FORWARD IN THE CONSULTATIVE PAPER ON LEGAL AID AS A MEANS ΤΟ DETER

AND DISINGENUOUS

APPLICATIONS.

UNDESERVING

THE

THE RECONVENED WORKING GROUP DID NOT SUPPORT

PROPOSAL NUMBER OF FRIVOLOUS AND REPEAT APPLICANTS WAS TOO INSIGNIFICANT TO JUSTIFY THE IMPOSITION OF THE APPLICATION FEE.

BECAUSE

THE

OR

LEGAL

MR LAI SAID THAT THE RECONVENED WORKING GROUP HAD MODIFIED REJECTED SOME OTHER PROPOSALS IN RESPECT OF CIVIL LEGAL AID AND ADVICE.

OF

FOR EXAMPLES, THERE WERE SOME CHANGES TO THE EXISTING LIST EXCEPTED PROCEEDINGS. THE FXISTING EXCEPTED PROCEEDING OF "IN DISTRICT

FOR COURT, PROCEEDINGS

BATTERY" WOULD DAMAGES FOR ASSAULT AND

BE

DELETED

LEGAL AID WOULD Bt MADE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE PROCEEDINGS.

SO THAT

THE PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE A FIXED FEF INTERVIEW SCHEME, IN ADDITION TO THE DLS'S LEGAL ADVICE SCHEME, WAS DROPPED,

THE RECONVENED WORKING GROUP REAFFIRMED THE 13 PROPOSALS IN THE

PAPER CONSULTATIVE

WHICH HAD BEEN GENERALLY WELL-RECEIVED IN THE CONSULTATION EXERCISE.

THE

OF

AN ADDITIONAL ANNUALLY

IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL 25 RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT THE RECONVENED WORKING GROUP WOULD INVOLVE RECURRENT COST OF $61.7 MILLION.

"THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE BEING SOUGHT," MR LAI SAID,

NECESSARY THAT THE

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MOST OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL ALSO REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS. MR LAI ENVISAGED THAT THE

COULD LEGISLATION

BE ENACTED IN THE 1994/95 SESSION AND VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE EFFECT BY APRIL NEXT YEAR.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

THE 13 PROPOSALS IN THE CONSULTATIVE PAPER ON LEGAL REAFFIRMED BY THE RECONVENED WORKING GROUP ON LEGAL AID POLICY

ARE:

AID REVIEW

THE UPPER FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY LIMIT FOR THE STANDARD LEGAL ALD SCHEME (CURRENTLY $120,000) SHOULD BE REVISED ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS IN THE LIGHT OF INFLATION.

* A

COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE OVERALL APPROACH TOWARDS ASSESSING THE FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY OF APPLICANTS CONDUCTED ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS,

SHOULD BE

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