Staff establishment of the Department of Justice

(as at 31 December 2024)

Headcount of Department of Justice as at 31 December 2024. This table consists of 6 columns and 8 rows. The first column is 'DIVISION', the second column is 'Directorate Counsel', the third column is 'Non-directorate Counsel', the forth column is 'Para-legal Staff #', the fifth column is 'Other staff', the sixth column is 'Total'. The first row is 'Secretary for Justice's Office', the second row is 'Civil', the third row is 'International Law', the forth row is 'Law Drafting', the fifth row is 'Legal Policy', the sixth row is 'Prosecutions', the seventh row is 'Administration & Development', the eighth row is 'Total number of posts'. End of summary
  DIRECTORATE NON-DIRECTORATE

TOTAL		 99+[4] 1 416
1 515+[4]

[ ] Supernumerary post created under the approval of Finance Committee.

Civil Division

Advisory Units. This table consists of 3 columns and 2 rows. The first column is 'Number of pieces of advice given', the second column is '2021' and the third column is '2022'. End of summary
2023 2024
Number of pieces of legal advice given 14 085 16 050
Number of contracts, tenders and other legal documents drafted / vetted 805 721
Advisory Units. This table consists of 3 columns and 8 rows. The first column is 'Number of pieces of advice given', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
2023 2024
Total number of current civil litigation cases 42 187 43 657
Number of civil proceedings instituted by government 1 807 1 882
Number of civil proceedings instituted against government 2 208 2 384
Civil litigation cases with hearing(s) at all levels of court 2 783 2 547
(a) Court of Final Appeal 11 6
(b) Court of Appeal 27 28
(c) Court of First Instance 348 277
(d) Other Courts, Tribunals, Council and Boards 2 397 2 236

Constitutional and Policy Affairs Division

Constitutional and Policy Affairs Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 5 rows. The first column is 'Number of pieces of legal advice given', the second column is '2021' and the third column is '2022'. End of summary
Number of pieces of legal advice given 2023 2024
Overall legal policy affairs matters 2 843 2 729
Basic Law matters 1 028 1 077
Human rights issues 830 762
Constitutional development and election matters 550 256
Mainland law and related matters 707 816
Total 5 958 5 640

International Law Division

International Law Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 3 rows. The first column is 'none', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
2023 2024
Number of international agreements on legal co-operation in criminal matters initialled 9 10
Number of pieces of legal advice provided 40 074 42 179
Number of new requests dealt with in various categories of mutual legal assistance 311 344

Law Drafting Division

Law Drafting Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 6 rows. The first column is 'Legislative drafting work', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
Legislative drafting work 2023 2024
Drafts of legislation released1 2 232 2 732
Number of pieces of legal/professional advice given (including written and oral advice) 3 612 4 155
Papers prepared2 140 160
  1. This includes all drafts of legislation (whether gazetted or not), including draft Committee Stage Amendments.
  2. This includes all drafts (other than legislation) prepared by Law Drafting Division counsel (whether issued in the name of individual counsel or otherwise) for consideration by parties outside the administration. Examples are papers explaining legal points submitted to Bills Committees, legal reports to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Law Draftsman's certificates for private Bills, etc.
Law Drafting Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 4 rows. The first column is 'Volume of legislation drafted', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
Volume of legislation gazetted 2023 2024
Number of Bills gazetted 42 33
Number of pages of bilingual text (as gazetted) 4 644 4 790
Number of pieces of subsidiary legislation 170 194
Number of pages of bilingual text (as gazetted) 5 750 3 822
Law Drafting Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 2 rows. The first column is 'Volume of legislation enacted', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
Volume of legislation enacted 2023 2024
Number of Ordinances enacted 35 35
Number of pages of bilingual text of Committee Stage Amendments incorporated into Ordinances 153 360

Prosecutions Division

Prosecutions Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 1 row. The first column is '', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
2023 2024
Number of pieces of legal advice given 15 486 17 740
Prosecutions Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 8 rows. The first column is 'Criminal cases / appeals at all levels of court', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
Criminal cases / appeals at all levels of court 2023 2024
Court of Final Appeal and related applications

Court of Appeal

Court of First Instance (Magistracy Appeals)

Court of First Instance

District Court

Magistrates' Courts

Prosecutions Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 6 rows. The first column is 'Percentage of criminal cases conducted in Chinese', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
Percentage of criminal cases conducted in Chinese 2023 2024
Application for certificate in the Court of Appeal or the Court of First Instance for appeal to the Court of Final Appeal 81.8% 89.5%
Court of Appeal (criminal appeals) 53.5% 54.8%
Court of First Instance (Magistracy appeals) 83.6% 89.5%
Court of First Instance (criminal trials) 21.1% 22.4%
District Court (criminal trials) 83.9% 84.0%
Magistrates' Courts (criminal trials) 83.3% 84.3%
Prosecutions Division. This table consists of 3 columns and 4 rows. The first column is 'Briefing out (number of court days)', the second column is '2023' and the third column is '2024'. End of summary
Briefing out 2023 2024
No of cases No of court days No of cases No of court days
Appeals



Court of First Instance (criminal trials) 82 1 072 108 987
Magistrates' Courts (criminal trials)



* Lawyers instructed in place of Court Prosecutors are briefed to attend to all cases on the basis of the daily cause list before a particular magistrate.