1.1 During the year, the Duty Lawyer Scheme represented 33,428 defendants charged with criminal offences in the Magistrates’ and Juvenile Courts, representing a decrease of 9.63% over the previous year. The number of subjects represented in Care or Protection Proceedings in the Juvenile Courts was 478 representing a decrease of 15.85%. The Free Legal Advice Scheme had utilized 879 volunteer lawyers at 9 evening centers advising 6,592 persons representing a decrease of 0.65% over the previous year. The Tel Law Scheme recorded a total of 22,539 calls representing a decrease of 18.90% over the previous year. The Service’s website recorded 286,624 hits, representing a decrease of 0.97% over the previous year. The Convention Against Torture (CAT) Scheme which was running as a pilot scheme received and took up a total of 742 cases.

1.2 The year also saw the extension of the Free Legal Advice Scheme to include legal advice clinics set up and operated by the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (Mediation Centre).

1.3 Upon the expiration of the pilot CAT Scheme on 24th December 2010 and at the invitation of the Government, the Duty Lawyer Service has agreed to continue to operate the CAT Scheme for another two years until 31st December 2012.