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

P.53 援署在法例和執行上都有充分保障，確 保部門運作獨立。被拒法援的民事案件 法援申請人，可就法援署署長的決定向高等法 院司法常務官提出上訴，司法常務官的決定為 最終的決定。在刑事法援方面，如因缺乏理據 被拒的申請人，只要能通過經濟審查，負責審 理案件 / 上訴的法官仍可批出法援。 here are sufficient safeguards in legislation and in practice to ensure the operational independence of the Legal Aid Department. In respect of decisions made by the Department, civil legal aid applicants whose applications are refused may appeal to the Registrar of the High Court, whose decision is final. In criminal cases, if an applicant is refused legal aid for lack of merits, the judge hearing the case or appeal may grant legal aid, provided the applicant is eligible on means. 確保涉及人權問題案件的申請人不會因經 濟能力而被拒批法援，個案如涉及違反 《香港人權法案條例》或抵觸《公民權利和政治 權利國際公約》中適用於香港的規定是其中爭論 點並具備合理理據，法援署署長可行使酌情權， 免除申請人的財務資源限制。署長為維護司法公 義亦可就刑事法援申請行使類似的酌情權。 o ensure legal aid applications for proceedings involving human rights issues will not be refused on means, the Director of Legal Aid has discretion to waive the financial eligibility limit in meritorious cases in which a breach of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance or an inconsistency with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as applied to Hong Kong is in issue. In criminal legal aid applications, the Director may also exercise similar discretion if he is satisfied that it is desirable in the interest of justice to do so. 法援案件委派律師時，受助人的利益是最 大考慮因素，法援署堅守這基本原則。法 援署會委派個案予具有不同資歷的律師，在有需 要時，更會聘任資深大律師或御用大律師代表受 助人，以維持控辯雙方的實力均等。 he Department adheres to the fundamental principle that an aided person’s interest is of paramount importance in assigning legal aid cases to lawyers. Lawyers of varying seniority, and where necessary, Senior Counsel or Queen’s Counsel are engaged to maintain the necessary equality of arms between both parties. 去5年，民事法援案件的整體勝訴率 高達88%至91%，足證法援服務優質超 卓。 he Department maintains high quality services in Hong Kong, as evidenced by the overall success rate of 88% to 91% in civil cases over the past five years. T T 為 法 為 過 T T 香港的刑事案件而言，超過80％的區 域法院審訊和遠高於90％以上的高等法 院原訟法庭審訊都獲得法律援助。 or criminal cases in Hong Kong, over 80% of all District Court trials and well over 90% of all trials in the Court of First Instance of the High Court are legally aided. 就 F 法律援助署五十周年紀念特刊