Avoidance of Delay

24. The prosecutor should seek to ensure that the case proceeds expeditiously and without any undue delay, because:
    • the delay may distress the victim;
    • the longer the delay, the longer the victim will be at risk and under pressure;
    • the delay may adversely affect the willingness of the victim to testify, or, in the case of a child, the capacity to recall the details of the offence.
25. The Department has adopted various administrative procedures to ensure that domestic violence cases are identified and that they are processed expeditiously. These procedures include:
    • legal advice in domestic violence cases will be provided as soon as possible upon receipt of the case files from the police, irrespective of the venue of trial;
    • advice will be given on an urgent basis even when the full transcripts of video-recorded statements or translations of documents are not available on the file;
    • where possible domestic violence cases will be tried in Chinese.
26. If a delay is unavoidable, the victim should be informed of the position by the police, and the reasons for the delay.