1. Are all proceedings in Magistrates Courts covered by the Duty Lawyer Scheme?

1. Are all proceedings in Magistrates Courts covered by the Duty Lawyer Scheme?

No. But the Scheme covers most criminal offences where the defendant may be at risk of imprisonment. The Scheme does not offer representation for:

• committal proceedings;
• hawking offences;
• traffic summonses; and
• other "regulatory offences" such as departmental summonses issued by the following departments of the HKSAR Goverment:
  • Environmental Protection Department;
  • Inland Revenue Department;
  • Fire Services Department.