TNAG-0112-FCO40-148-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 173

Moreover, it seems to me that we cannot, when dealing with a social service of this kind, overlook the general level of social services in Hong Kong and the extent to which a society such as ours should be expected to match the level of the services provided in more affluent communities.

I would be disposed to appoint a working party for the purpose of considering and making recommendations in these matters. For this purpose, I would have in mind a working party consisting of:-

(1) A Puisne Judge as Chairman;

(2) The Registrar, Supreme Court; (3) The Director of Legal Aid;

(4) A representative of the Attorney General;

(5) A representative of the Hong Kong Bar Assoica-

tion; and

(6) A representative of the Law Society of Hong

Kong.

We have collected on our files a certain amount of material relating to fees paid for legal aid in England, Scot- land and Ireland which could be made available to this working party and it may well be desirable to obtain addi- tional information from elsewhere, e.g. Australia and Singapore.

I should be glad to have your views on this proposal. Meanwhile, pending a more thorough investigation, do you think there would be any advantage in replacing the present fixed fees of $300 and $750 by a scale along some such lines as the follows:-

(1) a case not lasting more than one day $300 to cover

the brief and the first day;

(2) a case lasting two days $500 to cover brief and

first day; and

(3) a case lasting more than two days $750 to cover

the brief and first day?

Yours sincerely

(Sd.) MICHAEL HOGAN

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