7. Staff

7.1 In the year under review the number of staff of the Duty Lawyer Service stands at 133 including 5 Officers specifically assigned for the Care or Protection Scheme and 30 Officers specifically assigned for the Legal Assistance Scheme for Non-refoulement Claimants.

7.2 Review of remunerations of senior executives at the top three tiers had periodically been conducted by the Duty Lawyer Service as recommended by the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office. It was concluded that the total remuneration of each of the tiers was on par with that of the comparable rank in the civil service.

7.3 A special tribute has to be paid to Ms Grace Wong who joined the Duty Lawyer Service (it was then named Law Society Legal Advice and Duty Lawyer Schemes) in 1993 as an Administrator. At that time, there were only 82 staff and 10 Court Liaison Offices. She had contributed greatly to the successful operation and development of this organization. After 31.5 years of faithful and loyal service in the Duty Lawyer Service, she retired from the Service in September 2024 and formally left the Service in February 2025.