主持人:Shirley Yeung
Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focussing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
As most will know, the law can be complicated, confusing and costly. In Hong Kong, 1.394 million people live at or below the poverty line and that population cannot afford to pay private lawyers’ fees.
We know from the Department of Justice’s 2008 consultancy study on the “Demand for and Supply of Legal and Related Services” that 79% of people in Hong Kong did not know what to do when faced with a legal problem and that 40% of respondents for that survey had a legal problem. Using these numbers, we estimate that the pool of disadvantaged people with a legal problem is 550,000, or thereabouts, and, of those, some 440,000 do not know where to go for help.
And so the fact is that, for HK’s poorest people, the most disadvantaged people, there is a legal access gap. The people we serve are underprivileged and are often also very vulnerable. Typical legal problems include things like family matters, employment and discrimination, education, housing, immigration, criminal matters and sometimes, personal injury, healthcare, probate and of course increasingly online scams.
They extraordinary people face significant disadvantages due to a confluence of factors: the complexity of the legal system, a lack of financial resources and education, cultural and gender access to justice barriers as well as an absence of legal and digital literacy. Language barriers can actually be a major barrier. Limited financial resources restrict people’s access to private legal representation. Lack of education and awareness about their rights further exacerbates the issue they face, making them vulnerable to exploitation and unfair treatment. There are also some systemic biases within the legal system can also disproportionately affect marginalised communities.
The government services and clinics may not always provide interpreters to non-Cantonese or non-English-speaking people, which can really complicate access to information, advice and/or representation. There are also Cultural stigmas around legal action, particularly in family or employment disputes, which can make individuals not seek help early enough, which means there is an over reliance on informal networks rather than the formal legal channels. And all these mean that even if the legal problem is settled for now, the outcome is not legally enforceable and it means thee can be even more problems further down the line. Overcoming these barriers requires comprehensive legal aid, community outreach, and also we would hope for some systemic reforms to ensure equal access to justice.
Hong Kong has limited publicly funded community legal information and advice centres. While the Department of Justice, the legal professional bodies, the Duty Lawyer Service and the Legal Aid Department provide some support, this does not cover all cases. In fact, it also only addresses cases once a person is able to identified and not everyone knows that the problem they have has a legal solution, let alone being able to name it and even to work out what to do about it.
Equal Justice fills this initial void by offering assistance in the early problem identification phases, helping with settlement to avoid stressful and costly court proceedings, linking disadvantaged people to lawyers and helping them throughout their case journey so they are supported, can understand what is going on and can navigate the system well enough to make informed decisions. And why? To ensure that they avoid any further hardship and specifically poverty.
We provide legal first aid - to disadvantaged people - who cannot afford or otherwise access the law and legal support. We empower people and communities with legal education, information, and support, to ensure that justice isn’t just a privilege for the wealthy and well-connected. We give free, face-to-face, tailored legal information and support, and and also refer cases to lawyers and counsellors. So far, we have worked on 3,000 cases, and we’re just 5 years old. Ad the people we help are 50% women, 30% children and 20% men.
When it comes to generalised legal support for Hong Kong’s disadvantaged population, organisations like Equal Justice and university clinics rely heavily on pro bono lawyers. But, demand often outstrips supply, especially for time-intensive cases like child abuse or neglect, intimate partner violence, discrimination and family disputes.
We have partnerships with 100+ amazing law firms and 54+ charities are robust but may not be able to scale given the widespread needs that we are already experienced. And our caseload has increased ~40% each year for the last 3 years, which is quite significant.
In March 2025, rather wonderfully, the HK Bar Association announced that they will be partnering with Equal Justice and 3 other NGOs more closely to bridge the community legal access gap. This is a very welcome endorsement.
主持人:Shirley Yeung
Hello to the RTHK audience, I am Shirley Yeung Sui-lng. I have schizophrenia, which I have been living with for almost 25 years. I want to share the difficulties that patients face when thinking about recovery. Will I ever get completely better? Does continuing with medication mean I have not recovered? Is relapse a possibility? Is my mind different from others? Can I understand mental illness purely from a psychological perspective? My answers to these questions are positive. Recovery means achieving certain goals at various points in your life. In my childhood, I had a wonderful time living with my parents, brothers, and sister. We shared a close family relationship. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to attend school until I graduated from university. My mental illness began around the age of 24, in 1998. I experienced headaches and felt a lot of stress. I didn’t have many friends to share my feelings with. I became confused, believing that the advertisements on TV had special meanings. I felt as though secret police were monitoring me, and I was scared whenever I saw red lights or the color red, like on taxis. During that time, I felt deflated, had low self-esteem, and was sad, even refusing to take my medication. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and eventually needed to be hospitalised at Kwai Chung Hospital. However, throughout my 25 years on the recovery journey, doctors, nurses, cross-professional caregivers, clinical psychologists, social workers, and peers have helped and encouraged me to grow. First, finding the right medications requires time and careful attention from clinical professionals. Some people worry about weight gain and stigma from the side effects of medications, which can lead them to quit taking them. From my experience, it is important to communicate your concerns and problems to the clinical teams. Trust and communication between professionals and patients are crucial. I regret that my insight into my illness was poor during its onset; I wasted valuable time in my youth. Fortunately, with the support of my family, medical team, and social workers, I learned how to cope with the illness and move toward recovery. I take my medications on time every day and continue to learn by attending educational classes, conferences, and reading to strengthen my coping skills. I have gained the self-confidence to face this serious mental illness, building my life like a puzzle that forms a clear picture with the help of various sources. What does recovery mean? Recovery means hope, building strength, advocacy, and peer support. You can be a unique individual and lead a meaningful life. Now, I actively share my story, knowledge, and lived experiences to contribute to society. I participate in self-help groups such as the Concord Mutual-Aid Club Alliance, where I share and listen to peers to overcome illness together . The theme of the Concord Mutual-Aid Club Alliance is 1.To promote and develop mutual help among the Alliance members. 2. To enhance the rehabilitation, rights and quality of life of its members3 To actively participate in events and issues concerning the rights of the mentally ill person. From my experience of taking anti Psychiatric drugs, we suggest Hospital Authority to increase more choices of new and efficiency medicines for patients. We also share our recovery story to reduce stigma and promote mental health to the public. I engage in advocacy work to voice our difficulties and rights to the government, legislative council, Hospital Authority, and the public. I would like to say that you are not alone to facing mental health. You can ask for help from our peers, professional support and family care. Last but not least, I hope you take care of your mental health. If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask for help from us, ICCMW, doctors, or others. I choose the song "Imagine" by John Lennon. We are all the same and without boundaries. Thank you.
29/12/2024 - Shirley Yeung, the Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness, ICCMW