This Report provides an overview of the major events of the Judiciary during 2016. It also provides statistics and information about the operation of the Judiciary.

I wish to mention in particular the West Kowloon Law Courts Building in Sham Shui Po. The Judiciary proposed in 2009 the construction of the building in order to meet the increasing demand for court services and enhance the operational efficiency of the courts. Following the completion, the Small Claims Tribunal was the first to move into this new building in September 2016. Tsuen Wan Magistrates’ Courts, which was renamed as the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts, was relocated to the building in December 2016. The Coroner’s Court and the Obscene Articles Tribunal will also be relocated to this building in January 2017. With the new building and modern facilities, we hope to enhance continuously our services to the court users.

We hope that you will find this Report useful and gain a better understanding of the work of the Judiciary.