Netizens have launched a fund-raising campaign to save two activists who are close to bankruptcy after losing a court case they fought two years ago to preserve the 56-year-old Queen's Pier.
Ho Loy and Chu Hoi-dick, members of the group Local Action, were asked to pay a HK$270,650 legal bill incurred in seeking leave to obtain a judicial review that started in July 2007, which challenged the government's decision against giving monument status to Queen's Pier.
They were told by the Department of Justice last month that their legal aid, only approved a day before the hearing, would not cover the costs involved in earlier legal proceedings. 'The amount is unaffordable. Or we would not have applied for legal aid,' Mr Chu said.
A fee paid to the government's senior counsel, Benjamin Yue, accounts for more than 70 per cent of the expenses. Other expenses cover eight phone calls, 12 e-mails, preparation of legal documents and photocopying incurred by the government side.
Hundreds of users of the social networking website Facebook have backed the two activists by launching a fund-raising campaign - with each supporter donating at least HK$10.
More than HK$27,000, one-tenth of the legal expenses, was pledged from over 240 netizens on the first day of the campaign yesterday. Supporters only need e-mail the organiser citing the amount they are willing to donate, and do not need to pay immediately.