The judicial reform report recommends the disclosure of more information about lawyers' fees so the public can decide whether charges are reasonable.
But the working party dismissed the idea of establishing 'benchmark costs' to serve as formal guidelines on what fees should be charged. Instead, the judiciary should compile information relating to costs and publish it regularly, it suggested.
This would be drawn from sources including the awards made by judicial officers who rule on the level of costs to be allowed in any particular case.
Mr Justice Patrick Chan Siu-oi, chairman of the working party and permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal, said the idea of setting benchmark costs was dropped because no consensus could be reached.
The team also stopped short of recommending that barristers be permitted to advertise their fees, preferring to leave the chief justice to consult further about the proposal.
Mr Justice Chan said many factors need taking into consideration when deciding whether to further increase transparency on lawyers' fees. Further discussion was therefore necessary.
