Law Society launches Law Week 2012 Helpline 8200 8002

29 October 2012

(for immediate release)

(Hong Kong, 27 October 2012) The Law Society of Hong Kong today announced the launch of Law Week 2012 Helpline 8200 8002 which will operate from now till 14 January 2013. The Helpline will cover 4 areas of law, namely: (1) personal injuries (2) family law (3) legal matters related to small and medium enterprises (4) general legal advices. Panel solicitors on the Law Week Helpline will provide up to 1 hour of free legal advices to the general public.

Speaking at today's Law Week 2012 opening ceremony, the Law Society President Dieter Yih said that access to justice for all is one of the fundamental human rights. "The Law Society earlier urged the government to establish a new independent legal aid authority which will ensure access to justice for all', said Mr. Yih. "In the past, the Law Society arranged free legal advisory session during the Law Week with members giving free legal advices on site. This year, we had gone one step further and set up a Helpline providing legal advices to all citizens who have questions on legal matters".

Over 100 solicitors have volunteered to join the Law Week Helpline. Some of them were also panel solicitors of the Law Society’s existing Personal Injury Helpline which was set up in 2009 and had handled over 560 cases since then. In March 2012, the Law Society had also set-up a pro-bono legal advices Helpline specifically for small and medium-enterprises for a one-month trial period.

To encourage the general public to fully utilize the Law Week Helpline, the Law Society has launched a series of media promotion including: advertisements on Tramcar body, bus shelter, in MTR stations and trains, TVs and Radio programme. The promotion campaign has started on 15 October 2012.

Mr. Thomas So, Organizing Committee Chairman of Law Week 2012 appreciated the efforts of the Committee members in making the event a success. "Entering into the 21st year of Law Week, it is not easy to inject new ideas to a project which has repeated for more than two decades. I wholeheartedly appreciate the support from the Law Society Council, sponsorship from Legal Aid Department and Organizing Committee’s contribution to the project," Mr. So said. He also expressed gratitude to the panel solicitors who volunteered their time on providing pro-bono legal services to the general public.

Today’s Law Week 2012 Opening Ceremony was held at the Central Plaza, Wanchai. Officiating guests include: The Hon Chief Justice MA; Mr. Rimsky Yuen, SC, JP, Secretary for Justice; Hon Mr. Dennis Kwok, Legislative Councilor for the Legal Functional Constituency; Dr Eric Li Ka Cheung, GBS, JP, Chairman of Legal Aid Services Council; Mr. Chan Heung Ping, William, Director of Legal Aid Department; Mr. Paul Shieh Wing-tai SC, Vice Chairman of Hong Kong Bar Association; Mr. Dieter Yih, President of The Law Society of Hong Kong and Mr. Thomas So, Chairman of Law Week 2012 Organizing Committee.

Media Enquiry
Telephone:  Valerie Cheung(2846 0520 / 6710 3361) / Fiona Ng (2846 0589)
Email:         dcom@hklawsoc.org.hk

About the Law Society of Hong Kong

The Law Society of Hong Kong is a professional body of solicitors in Hong Kong vested with the statutory powers to regulate the professional conduct of solicitors. It establishes and promotes professional standards and the solicitors' code of conduct and practice and ensures its compliance. The Law Society assists its members to promote Hong Kong legal services and offers its views from time to time on legal issues that are of public concern. For more information, please visit: www.hklawsoc.org.hk