This Report provides an overview of the major events of the Judiciary in 2017.

During the year, the West Kowloon Law Courts Building has come into full operation. It houses the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts, the Small Claims Tribunal, the Coroner’s Court and the Obscene Articles Tribunal. Equipped with additional courtrooms and modern facilities, the Building improves our services to court users.

With the support of the Government and the Legislative Council, the salary and terms and conditions of service of judges and judicial officers have been enhanced with a view to addressing the recruitment difficulties and the long-term needs of the Judiciary.

The Judiciary’s exchanges with our counterparts from other jurisdictions continue. We hosted the Fourth Seminar of Senior Judges of Cross-Strait and Hong Kong and Macao in September, providing a platform for judicial exchanges among the four jurisdictions.

This Report also provides statistics on the caseload and waiting times at various levels of court, and other information about the operation of the Judiciary. We hope that you will find this Report useful and gain a better understanding of the work of the Judiciary.