What We Do
How We Work
Our team at Justice Centre provides direct support to people seeking protection in Hong Kong. Our holistic services enable responsive and timely access to legal information, representation, counselling and social welfare.
We integrate sophisticated legal strategy, with authoritative research and targeted awareness raising initiatives to challenge injustice and make lasting changes.
Staff at Justice Centre work in partnership with civil society and the legal and medical sectors to develop cross-sector and multi-disciplinary expertise and collaborations.
Through empowerment initiatives and public campaigns, we bring visibility to the communities we work with and support them to amplify their voices.
We work in partnership with community groups, civil society organizations, and the legal and medical sector to realise our shared vision.
Delivering Holistic Services
If you would like to refer clients to our organisation, please complete the appropriate form below:
Legal Services
We work to ensure that the most marginalised members of Hong Kong society – refugees, victims of torture and victims of human trafficking and forced labour – have the necessary legal information, support and representation to access protection and remedies in Hong Kong.
We provide tailored and dedicated support to migrants who experience unique challenges due to gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, age, race or ethnicity, statelessness and/or other characteristics.
We work in partnership with pro bono lawyers, duty lawyers and legal aid lawyers to deliver accessible and quality legal services.
Social Welfare Services
We support refugees and disadvantaged migrants to access social welfare, including food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education.
We work in partnership with other NGOs as well as private organisations to fill the significant gaps left by the bare minimum services provided by the government
Counseling Services
Our inhouse psychotherapist provides counseling services to support vulnerable migrants overcome trauma and other mental effects of persecution, torture and displacement.
We work with mental health professionals in Hong Kong to help vulnerable migrants access long term support where needed.
Improving the System
We combine sophisticated legal strategy, with authoritative research and targeted awareness raising, to drive systemic change for refugees and other marginalised migrants in Hong Kong.
Strategic casework and litigation
Our approach to casework and litigation is responsive and strategic. Through our legal services, we are committed to securing protection and remedies for as many refugees and forced migrants as possible.
Research
We conduct research into issues that affect refugees and marginalised migrants in Hong Kong and Hong Kongers more widely. We employ rigorous and robust research methodology to build an authoritative evidence base. We also partner with civil society and academic institutions to support their research efforts.
Our recent research has focused on the implementation and procedures of the Unified Screening Mechanism (USM), the prevalence of human trafficking and forced labour among migrant domestic workers, the trafficking-asylum nexus, barriers to protection for victims of sexual & gender based violence, and statelessness among Hong Kong’s migrant population.
The research data and reports we produce support our casework and litigation efforts. We share our findings with civil society and government officials and Legislative Council members, to provide support and advice. They are also shared with the wider public to contribute to social awareness, open dialogue and inclusion.
Training & Technical Assistance
If you would like to request technical assistance for a non-refoulement protection claim or a related case, please complete the appropriate form below: We provide technical assistance to the legal community in Hong Kong and the wider region. We deliver regular CPD/CLE accredited training courses on human rights and refugee law, and Hong Kong non-refoulement law practice and procedure. We also host legal groups to workshop specific issues, such as credibility, expert evidence, immigration detention and vulnerable witness procedures. We work closely with pro bono lawyers, duty lawyers and legal aid lawyers to provide technical support throughout USM proceedings (first instance and appeal), legal aid proceedings, judicial review applications and other related procedures (e.g., civil proceedings for unlawful detention claims.) We also deliver Clinical Legal Education (for university law students in their penultimate year) and the Young Advocates Programme (for high school students) to grow the next generation of human rights professionals.Working in Partnership
Collaboration is at the heart of our working model. We partner with civil society organisations (local, regional and global), law firms, chambers, law schools, private medical practices and other groups to deliver our services and amplify voices.
We are proud and active members of the following networks:
Global & Regional
- Global Refugee Forum Legal Community Pledge — Core Group Member
- International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
- The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)
- The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN)
Hong Kong
- USM Legal Group
- Refugee Concern Network
We partner with leading law firms, which provide invaluable pro bono support and resources, and enable us to deliver our services and research work. Read more about our pro bono partnerships here.
We partner with local and international universities to deliver clinical legal education.
We work closely with medical practitioners and other groups to fill the social welfare gap.
Areas of Work
Our direct services enable our clients to access protection, rehabilitation and redress.
Based on in depth and unique insight gained through direct services, we integrate strategic casework with research initiatives to raise awareness and work towards a fair system.
Why it matters
We work with community members, advocates, lawyers, and allies of justice across Hong Kong to ensure that the most marginalised members of Hong Kong society have access to a fairer justice system.
We believe this work is both vital and invaluable to the continued health of Hong Kong society. But don’t take our word for it; hear from some of those we’ve worked with:
Publications
We publish many publications over on our research page. They cover various topics with in-depth analysis and case study discussions.
