Extension of application period for LawTech Fund

     The deadline for application for the LawTech Fund (the Fund), established by the Government under the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund, will be extended for one month to July 26. This will allow more time for eligible law firms and chambers to prepare for application in light of the Judiciary's expanded practice for remote hearings through the use of video-conferencing facilities (VCF) and telephone in the civil courts from June 15, and the most recently published technical specifications for connecting to the courts' VCF.

     Applications for the Fund commenced in April. The Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association established a Joint Committee to process and assess the applications for the Fund, as well as to arrange the disbursement of the funding. The application form and the guidance notes are available at the homepages of the Law Society of Hong Kong (www.hklawsoc.org.hk) and the Hong Kong Bar Association (www.hkba.org/covid-19/lawtech-fund).

     The Fund aims to, amongst others, assist some small and medium-size law firms and barristers' chambers in procuring and upgrading information technology systems and arranging for their staff to attend lawtech training courses. Law firms or chambers with five or fewer practising lawyers as at April 8, 2020 (announcement of the Fund), and at the time of granting the subsidy, will be eligible for a reimbursable amount of up to $50,000.

     The Government encourages eligible law firms and chambers to make use of the Fund to enhance their technological capability.