1. Basic Legal Knowledge

    1. The rule of law
    2. Sources of law in Hong Kong
    3. Criminal proceedings vs civil proceedings
    4. Solicitors vs Barristers
    5. Brief introduction on the Department of Justice
    6. Different courts in Hong Kong

  2. Procedures during criminal hearings

    1. Normal court procedure in a criminal case
    2. Summary conviction and conviction on indictment
    3. First hearing
    4. Plea of guilty
    5. Mitigation and sentence
    6. Effects on sentencing upon pleading guilty
    7. Plea of not guilty
    8. Trial
    9. Closing submissions and verdict
    10. Trial by jury
    11. Appeal

  3. Juvenile Court

    1. Jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court
    2. Protection to young offenders
    3. Procedure at the juvenile court
    4. Restrictions on punishment of young offenders
    5. Sentencing principles
    6. Sentencing

  4. Arresting procedure, my rights and obligations

    1. Introduction
    2. Stopping and questioning by the police in a public place
    3. The right to silence
    4. Stopping and searching by the police in a public place
    5. Consequences on refusing to cooperate with the police
    6. Arresting a person
    7. Rights after arrest
    8. Detention of arrested persons
    9. Taking statements
    10. Bail of arrested persons
    11. Separation of young persons in police stations and in courts
    12. Lodging complaints against the police

  5. Free or subsidized legal assistance

    1. Introduction to some of the legal assistance available in Hong Kong
    2. Legal Aid Scheme for criminal cases
    3. Duty Lawyer Scheme
    4. The Bar Free Legal Service Scheme
    5. Free Legal Advice Scheme
    6. Exclusions
    7. Tel-Law Scheme

  6. Protection for victims

    1. Rights of victims
    2. Child Witnesses
    3. Vulnerable witnesses
    4. Video recorded evidence
    5. Evidence by live television link
    6. Depositions

  7. Punishment and sentencing options

    1. Introduction
    2. Imprisonment
    3. Suspended sentence
    4. Community Service Order
    5. Probation Order
    6. Detention Centre Order
    7. Training Centre Order
    8. Rehabilitation Centre Order
    9. Reformatory School
    10. Remand Home
    11. Hospital Order
    12. Drug Addiction Treatment Centre Order
    13. Fine
    14. Compensation Order
    15. Restitution Order
    16. Forfeiture
    17. Disqualification from driving
    18. Binding over
    19. Discharge (with or without conditions)
    20. Orders against parents or guardians
    21. Superintendent caution
    22. Deletion of criminal record

  8. Criminal records and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Ordinance

    1. Criminal records
    2. Fixed penalty tickets
    3. Bind Overs
    4. Police Superintendent's Discretion Scheme
    5. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Ordinance
    6. The RHO and suspended sentences
    7. The RHO and Orders for Detention
    8. The RHO and Community Service Orders
    9. The RHO and Probation Order
    10. The RHO and Sexual Conviction Record Check Scheme
    11. Implications of Spent Convictions
    12. Disclosure of spent convictions in court proceedings
    13. Situations Where Spent Convictions Must be Disclosed
    14. Penalties for wrongful disclosure of spent convictions
    15. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Ordinance applies only to Hong Kong
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Sources of law in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Laws are generally composed of the Basic Law, Common Law, Rules of Equity and Statute Law.

The Basic Law

The Basic Law of the HKSAR is similar to a mini-constitution for the HKSAR. It took effect on 1 July 1997 on the establishment of the HKSAR. The most prominent feature of the Basic Law is the underlying principle of "one country, two systems" whereby the socialist system and policies shall not be practised in the HKSAR and the previous capitalist system and way of life is to remain unchanged for 50 years.

Under the Basic Law, all the laws previously in force in Hong Kong (including common law and statues, etc.) shall be maintained except for any that contravene the Basic Law and subject to any amendment by the HKSAR legislature. National laws of the People's Republic of China shall not be applied in the HKSAR except for a number of such laws relating to defence and foreign affairs.

Common Law and Rules of Equity

Common law is a system of law that derives from decisions of judges. Previous court judgments of similar cases in Hong Kong or other countries under the common law system will be recognized as authorities for the disposition of future cases. Article 84 of the Basic Law provides that the Hong Kong courts may refer to case precedents from other countries under common law jurisdictions.

Rules of equity act as a supplement of strict and rigid law and provide flexibility to the judges to exercise their discretion. Judges may grant equitable remedies to the aggrieved party. The usual equitable remedies include injunction (a court order requiring someone to stop doing something) and specific performance (a court order requiring one of the parties to a contract to perform his/her part of the contract).

Statute Law

Statute law makes up a large component of the Hong Kong laws. It consists of written ordinances of which the majority are passed by legislative procedure in the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, and they eventually become the Laws of Hong Kong (for details of each ordinance, please refer to the "Bilingual Laws Information System").

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