Hundreds of lawyers have signed up to provide free advice to residents left homeless by Hong Kong’s deadly fire in Tai Po last month, as they try to understand their legal options and file insurance claims.
Some residents have said they are at a loss over whether any criminal prosecutions will affect their legal cases and if they should pursue civil claims against those held responsible.
The volunteers come from the Bar Association, the Law Society, non-governmental organisations Equal Justice Hong Kong, SidebySide and Pro Bono HK, and law students from the University of Hong Kong’s clinical legal education programme.
The legal practitioners are among about 1,000 people, including IT experts and psychologists, offering free help to affected residents. The fire that broke out on November 26 at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate killed at least 161 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.
Patrick Lau, 45, was among those who lost their homes and is now struggling to rebuild his life, step by painful step.
“We are not familiar with anything legal. We do not know what rights and obligations we have,” Lau said.
