â€‹The Government announced today (August 23) that the Chief Executive has appointed members to the Legal Aid Services Council for a term of two years with effect from September 1, 2024.  

     Newly appointed members are Mr Sebastian Hughes, barrister member nominated by the Hong Kong Bar Association; and two lay members, Dr Eugene Chan Kin-keung and Ms Shiu Yin-ning. Reappointed members are Mr Tom Fu Ka-min and Mr Ronald Sum Kwan-ngai, solicitor members nominated by the Law Society of Hong Kong; Mr Robin Nelson Egerton, barrister member nominated by the Hong Kong Bar Association; and two lay members, Ms Serena Lau Sze-wan and Ms Rosita Lee Pui-shan.

     "We would like to thank the outgoing members, Mr Bosco Cheng Yu-kit, Ms Iris Wan Lai-sze and Ms Yvonne Yeung Kin-ha, for their sterling contributions and dedication to the work of the Council during their term of service," a Government spokesman said.

     Established under the Legal Aid Services Council Ordinance (Cap. 489), the Council is responsible for overseeing the administration of the legal aid services provided by the Legal Aid Department and advising the Chief Executive on legal aid policy. The Council comprises a chairman and lay members who are not connected with the practice of law; barrister members and solicitor members nominated by the Bar Association and the Law Society respectively; and the Director of Legal Aid.  

     The membership list of the Council with effect from September 1, 2024, is as follows:

Chairman
————
Professor William Leung Wing-cheung

Members
————
Dr Eugene Chan Kin-keung 
Mr Robin Nelson Egerton
Mr Tom Fu Ka-min
Mr Sebastian Hughes
Ms Serena Lau Sze-wan
Ms Rosita Lee Pui-shan
Ms Shiu Yin-ning
Mr Ronald Sum Kwan-ngai

Ex-officio member
———————–
Director of Legal Aid

     The 2024 provisional register and the omissions list for the Rural Representative Election (RRE) were released today (August 23). Members of the public may log in the RRE Voter Registration Information Enquiry System through the RRE website (www.had.gov.hk/rre) to check their own registration particulars, as well as to check from the website whether they are listed on the omissions list, from today to September 9. They may also call the RRE hotline at 2152 1521 during ordinary business hours of the above-mentioned period to check the relevant information.
 
Lodging statutory claims or objections
 
     Any person who considers a registered person not eligible for registration may lodge a notice of objection in person with the offices of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) located at the Home Affairs Department (HAD), 30/F, Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, or the relevant Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) in the respective New Territories District Offices (NTDOs) (the office addresses are set out in the RRE website) during ordinary business hours on or before September 9.
 
     Any person who has been determined by the ERO as not eligible to be registered, or whose application for registration was not considered further by the ERO, or who has made an application for registration but whose name is not recorded in the relevant provisional register, or whose name is included in the omissions list, or who has a claim to make about his or her particulars in the provisional register, may lodge a notice of claim in person during the above-mentioned period.
    
     The specified forms for lodging a notice of objection or a notice of claim can be obtained from the Officers' offices. They can also be downloaded from the RRE website.
 
     If the principal residential address of the person who makes the claim is not in Hong Kong, he or she may lodge a notice of claim in person, or authorise a person in writing to lodge on his or her behalf during the above-mentioned period. He or she may also deliver a notice of claim to the Officers' offices by post, by fax or by electronic means (an electronic record authenticated by a digital signature) on or before September 9 (Hong Kong time).
 
     Upon receiving the notice of claim or the notice of objection, the Revising Officer will hear the case as soon as practicable within the statutory deadline. To enhance transparency, and enable persons concerned and members of the public to attend the hearings, information about the hearings of the claims and objections (including the date, time and venue of the hearings, and the names of the claimants/objectors/electors being objected to) will be uploaded to the RRE website before the day of the hearing.
 
Arrangements for inspection of provisional register and omissions list
 
     A full copy of the provisional register and the omissions list will be placed at the above-mentioned office of the ERO, while a copy of the specific divisions of the provisional register and the omissions list for a rural area that belongs to the rural committees concerned will be placed at the offices of the AEROs in the respective NTDOs. Pursuant to sections 19 and 22 of the Electoral Affairs Commission (Registration of Electors) (Rural Representative Election) Regulation (Cap. 541K), specified persons including members of the press (means persons who subscribe to the Government News and Media Information System maintained by the Director of Information Services), political parties (i.e. political bodies/organisations which meet the specified requirements under the Regulation), Heung Yee Kuk, respective Rural Committees for the relevant Rural Areas, indigenous inhabitants of the relevant Indigenous Villages or Composite Indigenous Villages and residents of the relevant Existing Villages or Market Towns for purposes relating to the RRE, can inspect the aforementioned provisional registers of electors and the relevant omissions list during ordinary business hours from August 23 to September 9.
 
     Specified persons who wish to inspect the provisional registers of electors and the omissions lists may make appointments by calling the RRE hotline or the relevant NTDOs during ordinary business hours from today to September 9.
      
     The ordinary business hours of the HAD and NTDOs in respect of the above matters are from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except general holidays).
 
     For further details, please visit the RRE website or call the RRE hotline.

     Correctional officers stopped a person in custody from assaulting another person in custody and two staff members at Lo Wu Correctional Institution yesterday (August 22).

     At 7.07pm yesterday, a 49-year-old female person in custody attacked a 45-year-old female person in custody inside a dormitory. Officers at the scene immediately ordered the assailant to stop. In the meantime, the assailant suddenly became emotional and attacked two correctional officers. Officers at the scene immediately stopped the assailant and called for reinforcement.

     During the incident, the victim sustained injuries to her head, shoulder and hand. She did not need to be sent out to a public hospital after examination and treatment at the institution hospital. One of the officers being attacked sustained injuries to her head and mouth, while another officer being attacked sustained an injury to her arm. After examination and treatment at the institution hospital, the two officers were referred to a public hospital for further treatment. The assailant did not sustain any injuries.

     The case has been reported to the Police for investigation.

     The two persons in custody was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of trafficking in a dangerous drug and conspiracy to defraud in November 2022 and September 2018 respectively.

     Correctional officers at Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution stopped a fight among detainees yesterday (August 22).

     At 5.42pm yesterday, two male detainees aged 35 and 39 respectively engaged in a fight inside a dayroom. Officers immediately stopped the fight and called for reinforcement.

     During the incident, one of the detainees sustained injuries to his hands and leg. He did not need to be sent out to a public hospital after receiving medical examination and treatment by the institution Medical Officer. Another detainee sustained injuries to his head, neck and shoulder. He was referred to a public hospital for further treatment after examination and treatment by the institution Medical Officer.

     The case has been reported to the Police for investigation.

     The two detainees were detained under the Immigration Ordinance in April 2023 and August 2024 respectively.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The delegation of the Legislative Council Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene (the Panel) continued its duty visit to Nanjing and Yangzhou today (August 22).
 
     In the morning, the delegation participated in an exchange session with representatives of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Both parties had in-depth discussions on policy measures regarding cityscape management and environmental hygiene. The delegation then visited Nanjing City Interface's management centre to gain insights into how the city implements a "unified management in one network" approach to integrate data on one network, monitor the whole region on one screen, and co-ordinate emergency response and solve problems in one stop, thereby enhancing modern urban governance capability.
 
     In the afternoon, the delegation held an exchange session with the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to jointly explore how to promote the development of agriculture and fisheries in the two places through the promotion of technology applications, brand building and talent attraction.

Before departing for Yangzhou, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the leaders of the Nanjing Customs District to learn about the policy measures on safety and testing of imported and exported food products in Jiangsu Province, as well as related publicity and education work. The delegation wished to draw on the experience of Jiangsu Province to further enhance food safety in Hong Kong.
 
     The delegation had dinner and exchanged views with leaders of the Yangzhou Municipal People's Government in the evening to learn about Yangzhou's latest development.
 
     The delegation will continue its duty visit to Yangzhou and Nanjing tomorrow (August 23).