法律援助署五十周年紀念特刊 | Legal Aid Department 50th Anniversary Commemorative Publication

P.36 申請人獲前妻和與前妻所生的女兒陪伴到法援署申請 法援，令Helen印象深刻。 The applicant's ex-wife and their daughter came along with him, which was memorable to Helen. 以客為本 在這20多年裏，Helen處理過不少令她印象深刻的個案。其中一 宗個案的申請人是一位末期病患者，由於他在工作期間意外受 傷，於是尋求法援署協助，以根據《僱員補償條例》和普通法 提出申索。「這位申請人很特別，縱使已經離婚並再婚，他的 前妻和與前妻所生的女兒仍陪伴他一起來。」這情景令Helen深 受感動：「當時他的身體已經很虛弱，需要加快處理申請。」 慶幸他獲批法援，而外委律師亦非常積極處理個案，多番緊急 到醫院探望受助人，並安排專家醫生評估傷勢。「時間配合很 重要。由於情況緊急，我們必須在受助人昏迷之前集齊所有資 料，以及備妥所需的法律文件。」最後，在家屬、律師和法援 團隊各方的群策群力下，只用了短短4個月，便成功為受助人的 兩項申索取得賠償及訟費。 盡心服務帶來的滿足感 不少獲批法援的受助人，在案件完結後都會向曾幫助他們的法 援署人員表達謝意。「他們通常會送上心意卡，或會以口頭和 書面致謝。」有一位受助人在10年前接受過法援，至今雖已事 隔多年，仍然會不時致電署方，送上問候，這令Helen感到特別 欣慰：「這位受助人曾申索疏忽賠償，大家由最初的律師與當事 人的關係，發展到現在如朋友一般，令我們非常有滿足感。」 Caring for Customers For more than two decades, Helen has come across a number of memorable cases. She recalls the time when a terminally-ill applicant who sustained injuries in a work-place accident sought assistance from the Department regarding his claims under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance and common law. “He was a special one — although he had divorced and remarried, his ex-wife and their daughter came along with him.” Helen was deeply touched: “He was already extremely frail by that time, so there was urgency to process his application.” Immediately after the application was approved, the assigned lawyers worked fast on his case, visiting him frequently on an urgent basis in the hospital and arranging medical specialists to evaluate his injuries. “Time was of the essence,” Helen says. “We needed to collect all the materials and complete all the legal documents before he fell into a coma. It was an emergency situation.” Thanks to the tireless efforts from family members, assigned lawyers and the legal aid team, it took only four months for the applicant to obtain compensation together with legal costs. A Fulfilling Career Often times, successful applicants would express their gratitude to the Department staff after their cases are wrapped up. “They would usually send us cards, but there were also verbal and written compliments.” One aided person, who received legal aid 10 years ago, still calls up the Department from time to time just to send greetings to her. Helen speaks of this individual fondly: “We helped this aided person with his negligence claim, and since then, we have become friends. It is very rewarding.” 公義根基、精英團隊 An Elite Team for Justice