With effect from November 2004, practising solicitors, trainee solicitors and registered foreign lawyers are required, by phases, to undergo courses of risk management education (RME). They are required to complete a core programme before the expiry of the practice year in which the requirement first applied to them and thereafter to 1z0-042 Braindump attend at least three hours of elective courses each year or, failing that, attend at least six hours of elective courses within the first and second succeeding practice years. Such RME courses are accredited with CPD points in accordance with the CPD Guidelines applicable from time to time.The statutory requirement for implementing a programme of compulsory legal education known as the Advanced Legal Education Programme (ALE) came into effect in March 2003. This programme requires all pupil barristers to attend ALE courses and to obtain a total of 14 ALE points during their twelve months' pupillage. Through a planned programme of legal education, focussing on advocacy and drafting, the ALE programme provides an efficient way for pupil 1z0-007 Braindump barristers to obtain and improve their skills. The ALE programme comprises core components of advocacy, professional conduct and ethics, drafting, case preparation and substantive law.Arbitration has been a popular method of dispute resolution in the HKSAR for some time. It is governed by the Arbitration Ordinance 70-290 Braindump (Cap 341), which is based in part on the UNCITRAL Model Law, the model law drafted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law ("the Model Law").In 2005, the Department of Justice established a Working Group on reform of arbitration law. The Working Group issued a consultation paper incorporating a draft Arbitration Bill in December 2007. The paper recommends that the distinction between domestic and international arbitrations should be abolished and the Model Law should be adopted PMI-001 Braindump as the basis for arbitration law in Hong Kong. This reform of arbitration law in Hong Kong will reinforce and promote Hong Kong as a leading centre for international arbitration and dispute resolution as the Model Law is widely accepted by other jurisdictions and is familiar to practitioners from civil law as well as common law jurisdictions.

The Tel-law Scheme was introduced in 1984 to provide members of the public with taped legal information through the telephone. In 1995, the Tel-law system was fully computerised and upgraded into a 24 hours automatic answering service. The tapes are in Cantonese, English and Putonghua and cover aspects of the law including matrimonial, landlord and tenant, criminal, financial, employment, environmental and administrative law. EX0-101 Braindump They are constantly updated and new tapes are added when a new subject is identified as being of interest to the public. In 2007, there were 78 topics available and 28,335 calls were received.The Legal Aid Services Council is an independent statutory body established in 1996 to advise the Chief Executive of the HKSAR on legal aid policies. It also supervises the provision of legal aid services by the Legal Aid Department, without interfering with the handling of individual cases by the department. The council is chaired by a non-official who is not a member of the legal profession. Its members include barristers, solicitors, lay members and the Director of Legal Aid. The Council conducts reviews of legal aid issues and of the legal aid services provided by the Legal Aid Department.Hong Kong in 1991. This scheme requires practitioners EX0-100 Braindump to attend a combination of accredited mandatory and optional courses. Developed on the basis of the Continuing Legal Education Scheme, the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Scheme came into effect on 1 January 1998. The CPD Scheme aims to provide more flexible means for practitioners to chart their own professional development by the broadening of existing knowledge and skills and the development of new skills and areas of work. This mandatory scheme applies to all trainee solicitors and has been extended to all 1Y0-259 Braindump solicitors with practising certificates since 1 January 2003. CPD activities include attendance at courses, taking distance learning courses and writing articles, books and dissertations, as well as preparation and delivery of training courses.

The Duty Lawyer Service operates three schemes: the Duty Lawyer Scheme, the Free Legal Advice Scheme and the Tel-law Scheme.The Duty Lawyer Scheme provides legal representation to defendants who are charged and brought before all Magistrates' Courts and Juvenile Courts. When the scheme first commenced in January 1979, it covered SY0-101 Braindump only six offences and was available only in three magistracies. The scheme was expanded gradually; in 1983 it was extended to all the magistracies in Hong Kong and covered nine offences. After the passing of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance (Cap 383) in 1991, the scheme was expanded to cover almost all of the criminal offences in magistracies. There is a Court Liaison Office in every magistracy. Court Liaison Officers offer scheme representation to all eligible defendants, which enables them to be represented by a duty lawyer in all court hearings.To be eligible for such legal assistance, a defendant has to pass the means and merit tests. Each eligible defendant has to pay a handling charge of $400. As at January 2008, the financial CISSP Braindump eligibility limit was $124,280 gross annual income. The Administrator of the service has the discretion to exempt a defendant from payment of the handling charge. In 2007, there were 1,549 barristers and solicitors on the Duty Lawyer Panel and 38,640 defendants were assisted under the scheme, which also assigns lawyers to represent defendants facing extradition, to represent persons who are at risk of criminal prosecution as a result of giving incriminating evidence in Coroners' inquests and hawkers at the hearing of their appeals to the Municipal Services Appeals Board.With effect from1 October 2003, the Duty Lawyer Scheme was expanded to cover Care or SSCP Braindump Protection Proceedings in the Juvenile Court. Legal representation is offered to those children/juveniles in care or protection proceedings whose liberty is at stake. The number of clients for this part of the Duty Lawyer Scheme's service averaged about 211 per month in 2007.

Legal aid is available for all types of criminal cases in the District Court, the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal and for appeals against decisions of magistrates. It is also available for appeals to the Court of Final Appeal, and committal proceedings prior to trial in the Court of First Instance.In order 220-601 Braindump to qualify for legal aid in criminal cases, an applicant's financial resources cannot exceed the financial eligibility limit allowed for civil legal aid cases. An applicant who passes the means test will be granted legal aid for committals and trials. Legal aid is only available for appeals where there are meritorious grounds.There is no provision for appeal against the Director's refusal to grant legal aid in criminal cases. For applicants who fail the means test, the Director can still grant legal aid if he considers it is desirable in the interests of justice to do so. If the case involves a charge of murder, treason or piracy with violence, the judge can exempt an 220-602 Braindump applicant for legal aid from having to satisfy the means test. In all other cases, the judge may only grant legal aid to those persons who can pass the means test.Appeals against refusals of applications for legal aid for criminal appeals to the Court of Final Appeal are heard by a special committee appointed by the Registrar of the High Court.The financial eligibility limit for this scheme is higher than the Ordinary Legal Aid Scheme and is intended to assist the so-called "sandwich class". Initiated in 1984, it now covers cases of personal injury and death, medical, dental and legal professional negligence where the claim for damages is likely to exceed $60,000, and employees' compensation claims irrespective of the amount of the claim.The scheme is self-financing and is funded by contributions N10-003 Braindump paid by the aided person out of their financial resources and from damages or compensation recovered. When a case is successfully completed, the aided person pays to the Director under the scheme an amount equivalent to all costs incurred and sums paid on his or her behalf, plus 10% of the damages he or she is awarded, or 6% if the case is settled before counsel is briefed to attend trial.

The power of amendment of the Basic Law is vested in the National People's Congress. The powers to propose bills for amendments to the Basic Law are respectively vested in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council and the HKSAR. The Committee for the Basic Law will consider the proposed 70-649 Braindump amendments before they are put to the National People's Congress. The amendment to the Basic Law shall not contravene the established basic policies of the People's Republic of China regarding Hong Kong.Legal aid is available for most types of civil proceedings in the District Court, Court of First Instance, Court of Appeal and Court of Final Appeal. Legal aid is also available for cases before the Mental Health Review Tribunal and in the Coroner's Court where the Director is of the opinion that the interests of public justice require that legal aid be given.To qualify for legal aid, applicants must pass a means VCP-310 Braindump and merits test. The means test evaluates whether an applicant's financial resources exceed the financial eligibility limit allowed for ordinary or supplementary legal aid. The merits test evaluates whether the applicant has reasonable grounds for bringing or defending civil proceedings and a reasonable prospect of success or of deriving some tangible benefit from being provided with legal representation at public expense.If both the means and merits tests are satisfied, legal aid will be offered. The Director has the discretion to waive the upper VCP-101V Braindump financial eligibility limit in meritorious Bill of Rights cases.An applicant who is aggrieved by the Director's decision to refuse legal aid may appeal to the Registrar of the High Court, or a Committee of Review chaired by the Registrar in relation to appeals to the Court of Final Appeal. The decision of the Registrar or the Committee is final.