Review of 2021

The Hon Mr Justice Andrew CHEUNG was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal on 11 January 2021. At the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year on the same day, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG indicated that the Opening of the Legal Year was an important occasion for the Judiciary as well as the community, as it focused public attention on the administration of justice and the rule of law, and in particular the challenges we faced.

In his first Opening of the Legal Year as Chief Justice, he explained the three fundamentals that the Judiciary are committed to: first, the Judiciary must be and must remain an independent and impartial judiciary because an independent judiciary is essential to the rule of law in Hong Kong and the due administration of justice; second, the Judiciary must comprise judges who are upright and who are prepared to uphold rights because a judiciary can only be as good as the judges that man its courts; and lastly, the Judiciary must remain a professional and efficient judiciary that moves with the times.

The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG remarked that independence did not mean a lack of accountability. Subject to the overriding consideration that there can be no undermining of judicial independence, he agreed that there was still room for further enhancement of the transparency and accountability of the complaint handling mechanism against judges and mentioned that a review of the existing mechanism would be undertaken for this purpose. He also mentioned that efforts would be made to strengthen continuing judicial education for our judges and our exchanges with the judiciaries and judges in other common law jurisdictions as well as our counterparts on the Mainland.

The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG remarked that a modern judiciary must be an efficient judiciary. He outlined the measures that would be taken to enhance the efficiency of the Judiciary in view of the increasing number of leave applications for judicial review relating to non-refoulement claim cases and the large number of criminal cases arising from the social events in 2019. He also provided an update on the Judiciary’s efforts in making greater use of technology to support and facilitate the conduct of court business.

The Chief Justice emphasized that the Judiciary was committed to the rule of law and to administering justice in full accordance with the law without fear or favour, self-interest or deceit.

Appointment of Judges and Judicial Officers

The Hon Mr Justice Andrew CHEUNG, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal on 11 January 2021.

Besides, various judicial appointments took effect in the year of 2021. The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal on 30 July 2021.

The Right Hon Lord Patrick HODGE was sworn in as a Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal on 22 November 2021.

The Hon Madam Justice Maggie POON, the Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM and the Hon Mr Justice Anderson CHOW, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, were appointed as Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court on 9 June 2021.

The Hon Madam Justice Anthea PANG, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, was appointed as a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court on 16 August 2021.

The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, was appointed as the President of the Competition Tribunal for a term of three years on 16 August 2021.

His Honour Judge Johnny CHAN, District Judge, and Miss Anna LAI Yuen-kee, SC were appointed as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 26 November 2021.

Review of complaint mechanism against judicial conduct

The Judiciary conducted a review on the mechanism for handling complaints against judicial conduct for the purpose of enhancing its transparency and accountability. Arising from this review, a two-tier mechanism for handling complaints against judicial conduct was put in place as from August 2021-

(a)	Tier 1:	A Panel of Judges (the first-tier) comprising more than one High Court judge will investigate pursuable complaints against judicial conduct which are serious or complex, or have aroused wide public attention;
(b)	Tier 2:	All cases investigated by the Panel of judges in Tier 1 will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Complaints against Judicial Conduct (“Advisory Committee”) formed to monitor and advise on handling of complaints against judicial conduct. It is chaired by the Chief Justice and comprises senior judges and members from the community with expertise and experience in judicial / professional / public services.

All pursuable complaints directly related to judicial conduct of judges of the Court of Final Appeal and the Court Leaders will also be handled under the two-tier system, irrespective of whether they are of a serious or minor nature.

The 2021 Annual Report of the Advisory Committee is available at the Judiciary website.

Judicial training

In 2021, our judges and judicial officers continued to participate in various judicial training activities organized by the Hong Kong Judicial Institute and webinars organized by other organisations. The Hong Kong Judicial Institute organized a new series of seminars on China law to strengthen understanding of the legal and judicial system of the Mainland. The first seminar on the constitution of the People’s Republic of China, the Basic Law and the National Security Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was conducted in April 2021 whereas the second seminar on the constitutional role of the National People’s Congress and the development of the judicial system of the People’s Republic of China was conducted in December 2021.

Exchanges with other Jurisdictions

In 2021, our judges and judicial officers continued exchanges with their counterparts in other jurisdictions. However, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the exchanges were conducted mainly through on-line video conferencing. A gist of these exchanges is set out below.

In March, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, attended the third meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts hosted by the Singapore Supreme Court via video conferencing.

In May, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court; and the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, JA, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, departed to Beijing to meet with the President of the Supreme People's Court, Chief Justice Zhou Qiang, and visited the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People’s Court and Beijing Internet Court, and paid courtesy calls to the General Office, the Legislative Affairs Commission and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Ministry of Justice and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

In July, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG, the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, and the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, JA, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, attended and delivered speeches at the Sixth Seminar of Senior Judges of Cross-Strait and Hong Kong and Macao through video conferencing.

In the same month, the Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, gave a speech at the First Xiamen Cross-Border Insolvency Colloquium in Xiamen via video conferencing.

In September, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the Third China Judicial Research Summit Forum and Rule of Law Culture and Judicial Practice Seminar in the form of pre-recorded video.

In October, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, attended the Maritime Silk Road (Quanzhou) International Forum on Judicial Cooperation via video conferencing. The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON also delivered a speech at the Forum.

In November, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered welcome remarks at the Judicial Conference of the Fourth United Nations Commission on International Trade Law ("UNCITRAL") Asia Pacific Judicial Summit 2021. The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, also delivered a speech at the Judicial Conference.

In the same month, the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, addressed the International Criminal Law Conference via a pre-recorded video.

Besides, the Hon Mr Justice Russell Adam COLEMAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the legal forum by the Hong Kong and Mainland Legal Professional Association entitled "Maritime Dispute Resolution in Hong Kong: Current and Future".

In addition, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered the opening address at the Rule of Law Signature Engagement Event “SEE – A Journey of Transformation for a Sustainable Future”.

Meeting challenges on caseloads

In 2021, the caseloads at the various levels of court generally returned to the levels before the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the upsurge of cases (especially those relating to social event (“SE”) and national security (“NS”)) at various court levels, and the phenomenal increase in applications for leave to apply for judicial review on non-refoulement claims and related appeals at the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal, have posed unprecedented challenges to the Judiciary.

The Judiciary has been making pro-active and dedicated efforts in coping with the challenges through a series of measures which seek to make the best possible use of available manpower and court facilities to handle the maximum volume of court business. Such measures include-

(a)	engagement of additional judicial manpower. The Judiciary has launched a new round of recruitment exercises for judges and judicial officers at different levels of court, which are now in progress, with a view to maintaining sufficient judicial manpower to meet operational needs;
(b)	more pro-active case management for SE and NS cases, including imposing a tight procedural timetable;
(c)	using alternative means of disposal for civil proceedings (including judicial reviews) such as remote hearings and paper disposal where appropriate; and
(d)	enhancing the capacity of courtrooms and providing additional court facilities.

With such pragmatic efforts, we managed to dispose of workload comparable to that in 2019 before the pandemic and generally achieve the target court waiting times for civil cases in 2021. However, owing to the need to re-schedule cases affected by adjustments to court capacity in light of the evolving public health situation, and the impact of the influx of SE and NS cases as mentioned above, the average court waiting times for some case types, mainly for criminal cases, have been affected.

Enhancement of court facilities and security

In 2021, the Judiciary continued to make dedicated efforts to enhance court facilities in support of an effective judicial system for the administration of justice. To cope with the upsurge of cases which involve multiple defendants or attract wide public and media attention, we have increased the functional capacity of courtrooms by broadcasting court proceedings in adjacent courtrooms in the Wanchai Law Courts Building and the West Kowloon Law Courts Building.

Upon completion of its renovation in September 2021, we have converted the largest courtroom in the West Kowloon Law Courts Building into a mega courtroom that can accommodate as many as 54 defendants (up from 12 previously), 100 legal representatives (up from 18 previously) and 50 family members of the defendants or members of the public.

We also recommissioned in October 2021 the Tsuen Wan Law Courts Building with four courtrooms for hearing District Court cases, so as to free up courtrooms in the District Court in Wanchai for cases that involve many court users.

The year 2021 also saw the Judiciary embarking on various temporary accommodation projects to provide additional court facilities to meet imminent needs. A total of seven courtrooms will be built at the Wanchai Tower and the Revenue Tower, including a mega courtroom which can accommodate as many as 50 defendants, 100 legal representatives and 50 family members or members of the public.

As regards court security, the Judiciary put in place security screening for the Court of Final Appeal Building in July 2021 and the West Kowloon Law Courts Building in December 2021, in addition to security screening already in operation on the court floors of the High Court and the Family Court. As part of our on-going efforts to ensure the safety of Judges, Judicial Officers, Judiciary staff and court users, this measure aims to prevent prohibited items from being brought into court premises. Where practicable and appropriate, the Judiciary would consider introducing security screening in other court premises.

With the higher number of cases which attract much public and media attention, the Judiciary has been taking appropriate crowd management and security measures, including queuing and ticketing arrangements to ensure fair allocation of seats and orderly admission of court users, as well as proportionate deployment of security manpower for keeping order and security in court premises.

Greater use of technology

The Judiciary has been making on-going efforts to make use of technology to enhance the efficiency of court operations. The impetus was substantially increased following the need for reductions in court capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, we were proceeding at full steam with the implementation of a series of key technology initiatives including e-filing under the Information Technology Strategy Plan (“ITSP”), use of e-bundles at court hearings, remote hearings, e-appointment system as well as digital evidence and exhibits handling system.

Over the past few years, under the ITSP, the Judiciary has been developing by phases an integrated court case management system (“iCMS”) across all levels of court for handling court-related documents and payments through an electronic mode.

To tie in with the forthcoming implementation of the ITSP, the Judiciary has been trying out e-bundle hearings for suitable District Court civil cases since December 2020. The feedback from users has so far been positive. Taking into account the operational experience, the Judiciary will see how best to encourage more e-bundle hearings at various court levels in the near future.

The Judiciary has been promoting the use of more remote hearings for civil proceedings since April 2020. So far, over 1 000 remote hearings (including video-conferencing and phone hearings) have been conducted and the experience has been positive. For criminal proceedings, to remove the legal impediments to remote hearings, the Judiciary is working on the necessary legislative amendments to provide the court with the flexibility to order remote hearings as it sees fit. We plan to introduce the relevant Bill into the Legislative Council as soon as practicable.

To minimize the need for court users to queue up for registry services, the Judiciary introduced an e-appointment system for selected registry services at the Probate Registry, Family Court and Lands Tribunal in early March 2021. The operating experience has been positive. We are extending the system to cover a few other court services.

The Judiciary will also continue to promote greater use of information technology and/or audio-visual facilities at court buildings so as to meet the increasing need to present and handle digital evidence and exhibits at court hearings, particularly for cases relating to SE and NS cases.

Highlights of Events in 2021

January
1	The Rt Hon Lord Patrick HODGE was appointed as a Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal for a term of three years
1	Mr Martin HUI Siu-ting, SC; Ms SIT Yat-wah, SC; and Ms Rachel LAM Yan-kay, SC, were appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
1	Ms Winnie TAM Wan-chi, SC; and Mr Stewart WONG Kai-ming, SC, were re-appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
6	Farewell Sitting in honour of the Hon Chief Justice Geoffrey MA was held in the Court of Final Appeal
8	The Hon Chief Justice Geoffrey MA served his last working day in the Judiciary
11	The Hon Mr Justice Andrew CHEUNG, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal
11	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG officiated at the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year 2021 in the Court of Final Appeal

February
1	Mr Eugene FUNG Ting-sek, SC; Mr Charles Peter MANZONI, SC; and Ms Yvonne CHENG Wai-sum, SC, were re-appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years

March
1	The terms of office of the Hon Mr Justice Murray GLEESON, the Rt Hon the Lord NEUBERGER of Abbotsbury and the Rt Hon the Lord WALKER of Gestingthorpe, Non-Permanent Judges from other common law jurisdictions of the Court of Final Appeal, were extended for a period of three years
12	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, attended the third meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts hosted by the Singapore Supreme Court via video conferencing. The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG also delivered a speech at the meeting

May
18.5-21.5	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court; and the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, JA, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, met with the President of the Supreme People’s Court and visited other courts and government authorities in Beijing
29	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG presided over the 2021 Senior Counsel Admission Ceremony
31	The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, delivered a speech at the “Why Use Hong Kong Law” webinar jointly organised by the Department of Justice and the Asian Academy of International Law

June
2	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the launching ceremony of the “Legal Aid Department 50th Anniversary Roving Exhibition”
9	The Hon Madam Justice Maggie POON, the Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM and the Hon Mr Justice Anderson CHOW, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, were appointed as Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court
16	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG spoke at the Hong Kong Association webinar
28.6-1.7	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, visited Beijing to attend the celebration activities of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China

July
5	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG attended the National Security Law Legal Forum organised by the Department of Justice
23	The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the First Xiamen Cross-Border Insolvency Colloquium in Xiamen via video conferencing
27	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court; the Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, JA, the Hon Mr Justice Derek PANG, JA, the Hon Mr Justice Anderson CHOW, JA, Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; His Honour Judge Justin KO, Chief District Judge; and Mr Victor SO, Chief Magistrate, attended the Sixth Seminar of Senior Judges of Cross-Strait and Hong Kong and Macao via video conferencing
30	The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal
30	The term of office of the Rt Hon Madam Justice Beverley McLACHLIN, Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal, was extended for a period of three years

August
1	The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal; the Hon Mr Justice Anthony CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court; His Honour Judge Justin KO, Chief District Judge; and Mr Victor SO, Chief Magistrate, adjudicated the Bar Association Debating Competition 2021
16	The Advisory Committee on Complaints against Judicial Conduct was established
16	The Hon Madam Justice Anthea PANG, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, was appointed as a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court
16	The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, was appointed as the President of the Competition Tribunal for a term of three years
20	Members of the Legislative Council Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services visited the West Kowloon Law Courts Building

September
6	Five members of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee visited the Judiciary
28	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the Third China Judicial Research Summit Forum and Rule of Law Culture and Judicial Practice Seminar via a pre-recorded video

October
1	The term of office of the Rt Hon the Lord PHILLIPS of Worth Matravers, Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal, was extended for a period of three years
1	Mr WONG Ming-fung, SC; Mr Victor DAWES, SC; Mr Richard KHAW Wei-kiang, SC; Mr José-Antonio MAURELLET, SC; Mr Abraham CHAN Lok-shung, SC; and Mr PAO Jin-long, SC, were appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
25	The terms of office of the Hon Mr Justice Syed Kemal Shah BOKHARY and the Hon Mr Justice Robert TANG, Non-Permanent Hong Kong Judges of the Court of Final Appeal, were extended for a period of three years
26	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, attended via video conferencing the Maritime Silk Road (Quanzhou) International Forum on Judicial Cooperation organised by the Supreme People’s Court. The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON also delivered a speech at the Forum
27	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the ADR in Asia Conference: Tomorrow’s Disputes Today

November
1	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered welcome remarks at the Judicial Conference of the Fourth United Nations Commission on International Trade Law ("UNCITRAL") Asia Pacific Judicial Summit 2021. The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, also delivered a speech at the Judicial Conference
2	The Hon Mr Justice Russell Adam COLEMAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the legal forum organised by the Hong Kong and Mainland Legal Professional Association entitled "Maritime Dispute Resolution in Hong Kong: Current and Future"
2	The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, addressed the International Criminal Law Conference via a pre-recorded video
2	The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan Russell HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the Judicial Roundtable of the Fourth UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit 2021
5	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered the opening address at the Rule of Law Signature Engagement Event “SEE – A Journey of Transformation for a Sustainable Future”
19	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered opening remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the Law Week 30th Anniversary
20	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG received the Grand Bauhinia Medal
21	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the Hong Kong Scout 110th Anniversary – Scout Day
26	His Honour Judge Johnny CHAN, District Judge, and Miss Anna LAI Yuen-kee, SC were appointed as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court

December
3	Ms Esther LEUNG, Judiciary Administrator, and 15 staff from the Judiciary Administration attended a webinar on the use of technology in courts hosted by the Supreme People’s Court
8	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at the Annual General Meeting of The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong

List of Judges and Judicial Officers

Serving Judges and Judicial Officers

Court of Final Appeal

- Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal

The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG, GBM

- Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal

The Hon Mr Justice R A V RIBEIRO

The Hon Mr Justice Joseph P FOK

The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM

- Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal

The Hon Mr Justice S K S BOKHARY, GBM

The Hon Mr Justice Patrick CHAN, GBM

The Hon Mr Justice Robert TANG, GBM, SBS

The Hon Mr Justice Frank STOCK, GBS

The Rt Hon the Lord HOFFMANN, GBS

The Hon Mr Justice Murray GLEESON, GBS

The Rt Hon the Lord NEUBERGER of Abbotsbury, GBS

The Rt Hon the Lord WALKER of Gestingthorpe, GBS

The Rt Hon the Lord COLLINS of Mapesbury

The Rt Hon the Lord PHILLIPS of Worth Matravers

The Hon Mr Justice William GUMMOW

The Hon Mr Justice Robert FRENCH

The Rt Hon the Lord REED of Allermuir

The Rt Hon Madam Justice Beverley McLACHLIN

The Rt Hon Lord SUMPTION

The Rt Hon Lord HODGE

High Court

- Chief Judge of the High Court

The Hon Mr Justice S C POON

- Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court

The Hon Mr Justice Andrew C MACRAE, V-P

The Hon Madam Justice Susan KWAN, V-P

The Hon Mr Justice Peter CHEUNG, JA

The Hon Madam Justice Maria C YUEN, JA

The Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Aarif T BARMA, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Derek PANG, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Kevin P ZERVOS, JA

The Hon Mr Justice H C AU, JA

The Hon Madam Justice Maggie POON, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Anderson CHOW, JA

The Hon Madam Justice Anthea PANG, JA

- Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court

The Hon Mr Justice Barnabas FUNG, GBS

The Hon Mrs Justice Judianna W L BARNES

The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan R HARRIS

The Hon Madam Justice Queeny AU-YEUNG

The Hon Madam Justice Esther TOH

The Hon Mr Justice Andrew CHAN

The Hon Madam Justice Mimmie CHAN

The Hon Mr Justice Anthony CHAN

The Hon Mr Justice Peter NG

The Hon Madam Justice B. CHU

The Hon Mr Justice David LOK

The Hon Mr Justice Joseph YAU

The Hon Mr Justice Albert WONG

The Hon Mrs Justice Audrey P CAMPBELL-MOFFAT

The Hon Madam Justice Susana M D'ALMADA REMEDIOS

The Hon Mr Justice Wilson CHAN

The Hon Madam Justice K Y WONG

The Hon Mr Justice S T POON

The Hon Madam Justice Marlene NG

The Hon Mr Justice W T LEE

The Hon Mr Justice Russell A COLEMAN

The Hon Mr Justice Keith YEUNG

The Hon Madam Justice C F CHAN

The Hon Mr Justice Johnny CHAN

The Hon Madam Justice Anna LAI

- Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court

Mr POW Wing-nin, Jason, SC

Mr HOUGHTON Anthony Kenneth, SC

Ms TAM Wan-chi, Winnie, SBS, SC, JP

Mr WONG Kai-ming, Stewart, SC

Mr FUNG Ting-sek, Eugene, SC

Mr MANZONI Charles Peter, SC

Ms CHENG Wai-sum, Yvonne, SC

Mr HUI Siu-ting, Martin, SC

Ms SIT Yat-wah, SC

Ms LAM Yan-kay, Rachel, SC

Mr WONG Ming-fung, SC

Mr DAWES Victor, SC

Mr KHAW Wei-kiang, Richard, SC

Mr MAURELLET José-Antonio, SC

Mr CHAN Lok-shung, Abraham, SC

Mr PAO Jin-long, SC

- Registrar, High Court

Mr KWANG Cheok-weung, Simon

- Senior Deputy Registrar, High Court

Mr HO Chi-yin, Andy

District Court

- Chief District Judge

His Honour Judge Justin KO

- Principal Family Court Judge

His Honour Judge C K CHAN

- District Judges

His Honour Judge Michael WONG

His Honour Judge Stanley CHAN

His Honour Judge C M LEUNG

Her Honour Judge Sharon D MELLOY

His Honour Judge Eddie YIP

Her Honour Judge Katina LEVY

His Honour Judge Frankie YIU

His Honour Judge K W WONG

His Honour Judge Douglas YAU

His Honour Judge W K KWOK

His Honour Judge Josiah LAM

His Honour Judge Anthony KWOK

His Honour Judge David J DUFTON

Her Honour Judge Amanda J WOODCOCK

His Honour Judge K H HUI

His Honour Judge Jack WONG

Her Honour Judge Katherine LO

His Honour Judge Gary LAM

His Honour Judge Andrew LI

His Honour Judge Herbert AU-YEUNG

His Honour Judge Harold LEONG

His Honour Judge Kent YEE

His Honour Judge C P PANG

His Honour Judge Timothy H CASEWELL

His Honour Judge Simon LO

His Honour Judge S L TAM

Her Honour Judge Angela KOT

His Honour Judge Reuden LAI

His Honour Judge George OWN

Her Honour Judge Y F CHAN

His Honour Judge L W WONG

His Honour Judge M K LIU

His Honour Judge Edmond LEE

Her Honour Judge Winnie TSUI

His Honour Judge Clement LEE

His Honour Judge Ernest M LIN

Her Honour Judge Adriana N TSE CHING

His Honour Judge K K PANG

His Honour Judge K C CHAN

Her Honour Judge Phoebe MAN

Lands Tribunal

- Members, Lands Tribunal

Mr PANG Ho-chuen, Lawrence

Mr NG Siu-lam, Alex

Magistrates' Courts and other Tribunals

- Chief Magistrate

Mr SO Wai-tak

- Principal Magistrates

Ms CHAINRAI Bina

Mr LAW Tak-chuen, Peter

Mr LUI Kin-man, Simon

Mr HO Chin-pang, Dick

Miss YIM Shun-yee, Ada

Mr SO Man-lung, Don

Miss CHUI Yee-mei, Ivy

- Magistrates

Mr MAK Kwok-cheung

Mr TO Ho-shing

Mr CHEANG Kei-hong

Mr WONG Kwok-fai, Raymond

Ms CHAN Wai-mun

Miss CHOW Pok-fun, Josephine

Mr YIP Sue-pui, Lawrence

Mr WAN Siu-ming, Jason

Mr LI Chi-ho

Ms WONG Susan

Ms LAU Yee-wan, Winnie

Mr TANG Siu-hung, Daniel

Mr CHEUNG Chi-wai, David

Mr CHENG Lim-chi

Ms LAM Mei-sze, Michelle

Mr CHUM Yau-fong, David

Mr SHUM Kei-leong, Timon

Mr KO Wai-hung

Miss HO Wai-yang

Ms CHEUNG Kit-yee

Ms CHEUNG Tin-ngan, June

Ms WONG Sze-lai

Miss NG Chung-yee, Debbie

Ms HEUNG Shuk-han, Veronica

Ms TO Kit-ling, Doris

Ms SHUI Kelly

Ms CHENG Kam-lin, Catherine

Mr CHAN Ping-chau, Kenneth

Mr LEE Siu-ho

Mr CHOW Chi-wei, Raymund

Ms CHU Yuen-yee

Mr CHAN David

Ms WONG Nga-yan, Peony

Mr WONG Sze-cheung, Colin

Ms SO Ka-yin, Rita

Miss LEE Kar-lok, Jacqueline

Mr HO Chun-yiu

Ms SOONG Wing-sum

Ms LEUNG Ka-kie

Ms TSUI May-har, Stephanie

Ms LEUNG Siu-ling

Mr IP Kai-leung, Jacky

Mr PANG Leung-ting

Ms CHUNG Ming-sun, May

Miss CHAN Lo-yee, Louise

Mr WONG Ching-yu, Edward

Mr LAM Tsz-kan

Mr LEUNG Man-liang, Matthew

Miss LAU Suk-han

Mr MOK Tze-chung, Andrew

Miss LEUNG Nga-yan, Frances

Mr LAM Hei-wei, Arthur

Ms CHOW Wai-choo, Monica

Ms CHAK Kwok-yee

Mr LAM Chak-ming

Ms YEUNG Yee-na, Eleanor

Miss SIU Chi-wan, Jo

Mr LUNG Gwun-ting

Miss WAT Lai-man, Minnie

Mr YU Chun-cheung, Peter

Mr SZE Cho-yiu, Jeffrey

Mr PUN Wang-hon, Dominic

- Special Magistrate

Mr YU Chun-pong

Judges and Judicial Officers who retired/left the Judiciary in 2021

- Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal

The Hon Chief Justice Geoffrey MA, GBM (Retired in 2021)

- Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal

The Rt Hon the Lord MILLETT, GBS (It is with great sadness that The Rt Hon the Lord MILLETT, GBS passed away on 27.5.2021)

The Rt Hon the Baroness HALE of Richmond (Term of appointment expired on 29.7.2021)

- Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court

The Hon Mr Justice Wally YEUNG, GBS, V-P (Retired in 2021)

The Hon Mr Justice Ian C McWALTERS, GBS, JA (Retired in 2021)

- District Judges

His Honour Judge S M SHAM (Retired in 2021)

His Honour Judge Roy YU (Retired in 2021)

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Court of Final Appeal

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL

scroll to view full table

	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Applications for leave to appeal
Criminal	67	53	35	41 (22)	60 (42)	69 (47)
Civil	426	289	564	133 (110)	314 (261)	539 (497)
Total	493	342	599	174	374	608
Substantive appeals
Criminal	8	2	10	15	6	10
Civil	8	11	6	7	15	6
Total	16	13	16	22	21	16
Miscellaneous proceedings	0	1	0	0	1	0

*	Case disposal refers to applications for leave to appeal/appeals which have been allowed, dismissed, withdrawn, abandoned or discontinued
	The figures in brackets indicate the number of applications dismissed under Rule 7 of the Court of Final Appeal Rules, Cap. 484A

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
Applications for leave to appeal
From notice of hearing to hearing
Criminal	45	44	42	34
Civil	35	34	31	34
Substantive appeals
From notice of hearing to hearing
Criminal	100	98	98	82
Civil	120	113	93	88

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

High Court

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE HIGH COURT

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Court of Appeal
Appellate
Criminal
Appeals from the Court of First Instance	165	79	83	146	122	112
Appeals from the District Court	206	146	212	230	148	165
Sub-total	371	225	295	376	270	277
Civil
Appeals from the Court of First Instance	560	611	559	526	361	730
Appeals from the District Court	12	14	15	13	6	15
Miscellaneous Appeals	25	28	25	21	20	22
Sub-total	597	653	599	560	387	767
Review of Sentences
Criminal
Reviews from the Court of First Instance	0	0	3	0	0	0
Reviews from the District Court	4	2	9	4	3	4
Reviews from the Magistrates' Courts	1	14	9	1	9	12
Sub-total	5	16	21	5	12	16
Total	973	894	915	941	669	1 060
Miscellaneous Proceedings	321	263	602	203	217	449

*	Case disposal refers to appeals/reviews which have been allowed, dismissed, withdrawn, discontinued or abandoned with or without court order

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Court of First Instance Appellate
Criminal
Appeals from Magistrates' Courts	603	428	608	585	444	443
Civil
Appeals from Labour Tribunal	23	23	18	21	23	23
Appeals from Small Claims Tribunal	45	48	53	43	26	41
Appeals from Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board	4	2	0	5	2	1
Miscellaneous Appeals	4	5	1	2	2	5
Sub-total	76	78	72	71	53	70
Total	679	506	680	656	497	513
First Instance
Criminal Jurisdiction
Criminal Cases	424	366	256	446	241	320
Confidential Miscellaneous Proceedings	340	440	545	340	440	545
Application for Discharge	0	0	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous Proceedings (Criminal)	684	772	724	655	763	686
Sub-total	1 448	1 578	1 525	1 441	1 444	1 551
Civil Jurisdiction
High Court Actions	2 431	2 200	1 960	1 519	1 266	1 254
Miscellaneous Proceedings	2 385	2 378	2 233	1 430	1 397	1 571
Bankruptcy & Companies Winding-up+	9 272	9 831	8 169	9 227	8 021	8 844
Personal Injuries Actions	506	540	428	1 335	506	512
Other cases#	4 380	2 957	2 218	1 096	1 497	1 806
Sub-total	18 974	17 906	15 008	14 607	12 687	13 987
Total	20 422	19 484	16 533	16 048	14 131	15 538
Masters Chambers
Interlocutory hearings**	25 382	22 997	24 416	24 099	16 607	23 450
Taxation bills	547	561	592	418(1)	429(1)	476(1)
Probate
Applications~	21 005	16 521	21 978	20 503(2)	16 592(2)	20 390(2)

*	Case disposal refers to appeals which have been allowed, dismissed, withdrawn, discontinued or abandoned with or without court order; criminal cases where defendants have been convicted or acquitted; and civil cases where claims have been successfully made or dismissed
+	Cases include Bankruptcy Proceedings, Companies Winding-up Proceedings, Applications for Interim Order (Bankruptcy) and Applications to Set Aside Statutory Demands
#	Other cases include Constitutional and Administrative Law Proceedings, Admiralty Actions, Adoptions, Bill of Sale Registrations, Book Debt Registrations, Commercial Actions, Construction and Arbitration Cases, Matrimonial Causes, Applications under the Mental Health Ordinance, Probate Actions, Stop Notices, Confidential Miscellaneous Proceedings (Civil) and Intellectual Property (a new case type created to capture intellectual property matters before the Court of First Instance with effect from 6 May 2019. Its caseload was formerly subsumed under High Court Actions or High Court Miscellaneous Proceedings and categorized under civil jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance)
~	With effect from 1 January 2020, figure to include resealing application received
**	The caseload figure represents the number of interlocutory applications listed with hearings, and the disposal figure represents the number of the interlocutory applications heard in the reporting period
	Note (1) : Case disposal refers to taxation bills processed
	Note (2) : Case disposal refers to grants issued/grants resealed/estates administration completed by the Official Administrator in summary manner

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE HIGH COURT

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
Court of Appeal
Criminal - from setting down of a case to hearing	50	49	55	48
Civil - from application to fix date to hearing	90	89	85	86
Court of First Instance
Criminal Fixture List - from filing of indictment to hearing*	-	167	349	383
Civil Fixture List - from application to fix date to hearing	180	173	166	176
Civil Running List - from not-to-be-warned date to hearing	30	29	28	16
Appeals from Magistrates' Courts - from lodging of Notice of Appeal to hearing	90	105	128	168

*

A new Practice Direction on criminal proceedings in the Court of First Instance of the High Court was promulgated in June 2017 to enhance management of criminal proceedings. Having regard to the new procedures under the Practice Direction, consideration is being given to review how the average waiting time for the Criminal Fixture List should be measured. In addition, the Criminal Expedited List has replaced the Criminal Running List. The way to measure the average waiting time of the Criminal Expedited List and the setting of its target are being considered in the light of the operation of the new measures

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Competition Tribunal

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE COMPETITION TRIBUNAL

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Application for Review	0	0	0	0	0	0
Enforcement Action	1	3	2	0	3	1
Action	0	0	0	0	0	2
Miscellaneous Proceedings	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	1	3	2	0	3	3

*	Case disposal refers to applications / claims which have been successfully made or dismissed

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE COMPETITION TRIBUNAL

As there are only five cases being set down for trial/substantive hearing in the Competition Tribunal, the waiting time is inapplicable. The target average waiting time will be considered when more cases are set down for trial/substantive hearing at the Tribunal

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

District Court

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE DISTRICT COURT

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Criminal Jurisdiction
Criminal Cases	961	1 119	1 171	1 201	774	1 001
Civil Jurisdiction
Civil	7 053	7 037	5 956	4 977	4 810	5 033
Tax Claim	1 564	778	735	1 281	858	493
Distress for Rent	4 783	4 923	4 492	4 650	4 660	4 300
Employee's Compensation	3 046	2 659	2 760	2 869	2 542	2 892
Other civil cases +	9 496	8 756	8 884	4 792	3 990	4 955
Sub-total	25 942	24 153	22 827	18 569	16 860	17 673
Family Jurisdiction
Matrimonial Causes	15 393	12 363	13 344	15 223	11 023	12 142
Joint Applications	6 681	4 939	4 430	5 934	4 997	4 550
Miscellaneous Proceedings	262	215	277	236	204	258
Adoption Applications	50	68	81	45	52	55
Sub-total	22 386	17 585	18 132	21 438(1)	16 276(1)	17 005(1)
Total (Civil)	48 328	41 738	40 959	40 007	33 136	34 678
Total	49 289	42 857	42 130	41 208	33 910	35 679
Masters Chambers
Interlocutory hearings**	10 382	9 744	10 534	7 988	6 283	8 299
Taxation bills
Divorce	823	611	885	766	603	903
Others	525	450	466	370	277	251
Sub-total	1 348	1 061	1 351	1 136(2)	880(2)	1 154(2)
Total	11 730	10 805	11 885	9 124	7 163	9 453

*	Case disposal refers to those where defendants have been convicted or acquitted and those where claims have been successfully made or dismissed
+	Other civil cases include Miscellaneous Proceedings, Stamp Duty (Ordinance) Appeals, Equal Opportunities Actions, Personal Injuries Cases, Occupational Deafness (Compensation) Appeals, Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Appeals, Estate Agents Appeals and Stop Notice Cases
**	The caseload figure represents the number of interlocutory applications listed with hearings, and the disposal figure represents the number of the interlocutory applications heard in the reporting period
	Note (1) : Case disposal refers to Decree Absolute granted and Adoption Orders made
	Note (2) : Case disposal refers to taxation bills processed

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE DISTRICT COURT

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
Criminal - from first appearance of defendants in District Court to hearing	100	191	210	287
Civil Fixture List - from date of listing to hearing	120	95	105	108
Civil Running List - from not-to-be-warned date to hearing	30	21	28	20
Dissolution of marriage - from setting down of a case to hearing
Special Procedure List	35	35	35	35
Defended List (all hearings)	110	89	69	59
Financial applications - from setting down of a case to hearing	110-140	81	85	74

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Lands Tribunal

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE LANDS TRIBUNAL

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Appeal cases	1 472	789	910	493	759	1 202
Compensation cases	1	2	6	15	9	7
Building management cases	298	203	232	209	222	338
Tenancy cases	3 910	3 391	3 193	3 164	3 941	4 158
Lands compulsory sale applications	37	36	16	22	27	36
Miscellaneous proceedings applications	3	11	1	2	2	4
Total	5 721	4 432	4 358	3 905	4 960	5 745

*	Case disposal refers to appeals which have been allowed or dismissed and trials or hearings which have been concluded

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE LANDS TRIBUNAL

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
From setting down of a case to hearing
Appeal cases	90	35	39	-*
Compensation cases	90	38	29	64
Building management cases	90	21	31	25
Tenancy cases	50	17	24	16

*	As there is no appeal cases filed, the waiting time is inapplicable

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Magistrates' Courts

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE MAGISTRATES' COURTS

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	Caseload			Disposal*
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Charge Cases	25 798	22 436	22 471	25 405	21 354	22 252
Hawker Cases	1 216	1 192	1 245	1 204	1 189	1 232
Departmental & Private Summonses	170 156	144 040	172 756	170 625	135 466	174 207
Driving-Offence Points Summonses	2 277	1 631	2 307	2 218	1 611	2 233
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Traffic)	468	480	704	526	412	734
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction)	97	89	83	96	83	86
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Smoking Offences)	21	11	17	21	20	12
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Vehicle Idling)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Mandatory Window Inspection)	21	27	16	19	22	21
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Plastic Shopping Bag)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Gathering Offence)#	-	108	424	-	39	423
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Mask Not Worn)+	-	-	235	-	-	146
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Compulsory Testing)~	-	-	1	-	-	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Premises Direction)^	-	-	1	-	-	0
Miscellaneous Proceedings	10 869	9 131	10 509	10 650	9 240	10 341
Departmental Notice	636	655	617	654	614	623
Fixed Penalty Notice (Traffic)	117 497	133 975	156 017	129 843	121 068	160 379
Fixed Penalty Notice (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction)	2 542	2 402	2 760	2 610	2 355	2 802
Fixed Penalty Notice (Smoking Offences)	723	514	423	698	564	404
Fixed Penalty Notice (Vehicle Idling)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Notice (Mandatory Window Inspection)	425	236	202	417	251	214
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Plastic Shopping Bag)	0	2	0	0	2	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Gathering Offence)#	-	175	1 133	-	130	942
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Mask Not Worn)+	-	-	530	-	-	454
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Compulsory Testing)~	-	-	0	-	-	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Premises Direction)^	-	-	5	-	-	4
Total	332 746	317 104	372 456	344 986	294 420	377 509

*	Case disposal refers to cases where defendants have been convicted or acquitted after trial or hearing, pre-hearing payments of all penalties and costs, and applications which have been granted, refused, withdrawn or struck out
#	New case types pursuant to section 6(1) of the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation, Cap. 599G came into effect on 29 March 2020
+	New case types pursuant to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation, Cap. 599I came into effect on 15 July 2020
~	New case types pursuant to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation, Cap. 599J came into effect on 15 November 2020
^	New case types pursuant to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation, Cap. 599F came into effect on 29 April 2021

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE MAGISTRATES' COURTS

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
Summonses - from plea to date of trial	50	67	75	79
Charge cases except for Juvenile Court - from plea to date of trial
For defendants in custody	30-45	41	45	48
For defendants on bail	45-60	51	67	70
Charge cases for Juvenile Court - from plea to date of trial
For defendants in custody	30-45	30	13	56
For defendants on bail	45-60	58	60	74

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Labour Tribunal

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Claims	4 323	3 533	4 278	4 143	2 990	4 166
Reviews	78	56	72	81	65	60
Restore claims	71	62	68	59	55	60
Set-aside awards	131	80	96	113	62	93
Total	4 603	3 731	4 514	4 396	3 172	4 379

*	Case disposal refers to claims which have been concluded, including claims awarded, dismissed, settled, withdrawn and transferred

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE LABOUR TRIBUNAL

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
From appointment to filing of a case	30	29	61	25
From filing of a case to first hearing	30	25	23	22

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Small Claims Tribunal

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL

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	Caseload			Disposal*
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Claims	55 879	39 821	45 649	55 304	39 518	46 827
Reviews	189	162	207	170	175	219
Total	56 068	39 983	45 856	55 474	39 693	47 046

*	Case disposal refers to claims which have been made successfully or dismissed

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
From filing of a case to first hearing	60	36	41	39

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Obscene Articles Tribunal

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Articles for determination	21 081	14 024	0	21 081	14 024	0
Articles for classification	82	107	38	81	108	38
Articles for review	0	0	0	0	0	0
Articles for reconsideration	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	21 163	14 131	38	21 162	14 132	38

*	Case disposal refers to those articles which have been determined or classified; those in respect of which determination or classification is not required with consent of both parties; and those in respect of which determination or classification has been reviewed or reconsidered

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
From referral by a magistrate to determination	21	15	10	-#
From receipt of application to classification	5	2	3	2
From receipt of application to review	35	-^	-^	-^
From receipt of application to reconsideration	35	-*	-*	-*

#	As there is no application for determination filed, the waiting time is inapplicable
^	As there is no application for review filed, the waiting time is inapplicable
*	As there is no application for reconsideration filed, the waiting time is inapplicable

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Coroner's Court

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE CORONER'S COURT

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2019	2020	2021	2019	2020	2021
Death inquests with jury	106	86	140	114	63	150
Death inquests without jury	11	12	14	16	10	13
Total	117	98	154	130	73	163

• * Case disposal refers to death inquests concluded

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE CORONER'S COURT

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2019	2020	2021
From date of listing to hearing	42	61	70	64