Index page

Controlling Officer : Judiciary Administrator

Session No. : 8

File name : S-JA-e1.rtf

Reply Serial No.	Question Serial No.	Reply Serial No.	Question Serial No.	Reply Serial No.	Question Serial No.
S-JA001	S008
S-JA002	S031
S-JA003	S032
S-JA004	SV004

Replies to supplementary questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2008-09

Controlling Officer : Judiciary Administrator

Session No. : 8

Reply Serial No.	Question Serial No.	Name of Member	Head	Programme
S-JA001	S008	Hon LAU Wai-hing, Emily	80	Support Services or Courts' Operation
S-JA002	S031	Hon WONG Kwok-hing	80	Courts, Tribunals and Various Statutory Functions
S-JA003	S032	Hon WONG Kwok-hing	80	Courts, Tribunals and Various Staturory Functions
S-JA004	SV004	Hon NG Margaret	80	Courts, Tribunals and Various Statutory Functions Support Services or Courts' Operation

	Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2008-09		Reply Serial No.
			S-JA001
	CONTROLLING OFFICER'S REPLY TO
	SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
			Question Serial No.
Head:	80 Judiciary	Subhead (No. & title):	S008

Programme:	(2) Support Services for Courts' Operation
Controlling Officer:	Judiciary Administrator
Director of Bureau:	Judiciary Administrator

Question:

Follow-up on Reply Serial No. JA010

According to paragraph 13 of Head 80, the Judiciary Administration said the Judiciary will, through the Resource Centre for Unrepresented Litigants, offer more assistance to these people. Please list the resources being deployed and whether any additional services will be offered to help the growing number of unrepresented litigants?

Asked by: Hon. LAU Wai-hing, Emily

Reply:

To maintain the impartiality of the Judiciary, the Resource Centre for Unrepresented Litigants does not provide legal advice. It provides information and assistance on court rules and procedures in relation to civil proceedings in the High Court or the District Court except matrimonial, lands, employees' compensation and probate matters. In 2008-09, the annual provision for the Resource Centre is $1.8 million with an establishment of five staff.

We will continue to enhance support to unrepresented litigants in the High Court and District Court through the Resource Centre. In this connection, a revamped Steering Committee on Resource Centres for Unrepresented Litigants under the chairmanship of Madam Justice Chu has been set up by the Chief Justice since 2008 to advise on, amongst other matters, policy, operational and practical matters related to the operation of the resource centre for unrepresented litigants in the Judiciary. The Steering Committee is now working on the updating of reference materials in preparation for the implementation of the Civil Justice Reform.

Signature
Name in block letters	EMMA LAU
Post Title	Judiciary Administrator
Date	11 April 2008

	Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2008-09		Reply Serial No.
			S-JA002
	CONTROLLING OFFICER'S REPLY TO
	SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
	Question Serial No.
Head:	80 Judiciary	Subhead (No. & title):	S031

Programme:	(1) Courts, Tribunals and Various Statutory Functions
Controlling Officer:	Judiciary Administrator
Director of Bureau:	Judiciary Administrator

Question:

Follow-up on Reply Serial No. JA002

Apart from the recommendations made by the Working Group on the Review of the Labour Tribunal in 2004, having regard to the current situation that there are cases where Labour Tribunal awards are not enforced and the employees are unable to recover the arrears of wages, will the Judiciary allocate resources to further review and improve the existing mechanism