With regard to the 2019 anti-extradition amendment bill incidents, the Department of Justice today said its Special Duties Team had received 1,215 cases from Police and had given legal advice on 98.8% of them ie 1,201 cases.

Responding to media enquiries, the department stressed that upon receipt of the evidence and relevant documents from the law enforcement agencies, its prosecutors always handle the cases expeditiously in accordance with the law and the Prosecution Code.

For the anti-extradition amendment bill incidents, cases involving serious offences such as rioting and unlawful assembly are handled by the Special Duties Team of the department’s Prosecutions Division.

Nevertheless, the law enforcement agencies do not necessarily refer all their cases to the department, it explained, as such cases may still be under investigation or no follow-up action is necessary for the time being.

When evidence is considered insufficient to warrant a case referral or if the cases have been handled by the law enforcement agencies in accordance with internal procedures, such cases will not be relayed to the department, it added.