Review of 2023

At the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year on 16 January 2023, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG affirmed the importance of this annual event as it focused the community’s attention on the rule of law, the administration of justice, and the central role of the Judiciary in this regard.

Although the public may be cognizant of the role of the Judiciary under the “One Country, Two Systems” arrangement, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG underscored the importance of an accurate understanding of this role and further expounded upon the three main functions of the Judiciary.

The primary role of the Judiciary is to uphold the rule of law and administer justice in strict accordance with the law. The second role of the Judiciary is to protect the fundamental rights set out in Chapter III of the Basic Law, as well as the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, which is constitutionally entrenched under Article 39(1) of the Basic Law. The third role of the Judiciary is to develop the case law to adapt to new circumstances where appropriate and justified under the common law system.

The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG stressed that the role of the courts under the common law is to faithfully apply the law. The courts do not make policies or political decisions. While the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”) are vested with independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication, in accordance with authorisation from the National People’s Congress through the provisions of the Basic Law, the jurisdiction of the courts is set out and delimited by the Basic Law and other relevant laws of Hong Kong. The courts must respect and uphold the constitutional order of the HKSAR under the Constitution of our country.

The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG further iterated that the Judiciary must remain a modern one that moves with the times. He summarised the enhancement measures that had been taken to maintain public confidence in the judicial system. He also outlined the initiatives that would be taken to enhance the transparency of judicial proceedings and promote a wider adoption of the e-litigation system.

Appointment of Judges and Judicial Officers

A number of judicial appointments took effect in 2023.

The Hon Patrick KEANE was appointed as a Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal on 6 April 2023.

His Honour Judge WONG King Wah was appointed as the Registrar of the Court of Final Appeal and a Senior Deputy Registrar, High Court on 1 June 2023.

Mr Kestrel LAM was appointed as a Permanent Magistrate on 11 January 2023.

Miss Vienne LUK was appointed as a Permanent Magistrate on 27 February 2023.

Ms Minnie WONG was appointed as a Permanent Magistrate on 28 September 2023.

Judicial training

In 2023, our judges and judicial officers continued to participate in various judicial training activities organised by the Hong Kong Judicial Institute. Starting from 2021, the Hong Kong Judicial Institute organised a series of seminars on Chinese law to strengthen the understanding of the legal and judicial system of the Mainland. A seminar on the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China was conducted in March 2023.

In June 2023, the Hong Kong Judicial Institute organised a talk entitled “Sir Edward Coke and the Common Law” delivered by the Hon Mr Justice Patrick KEANE, Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal.

Exchanges with the Mainland and other jurisdictions

With the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Judiciary received many judges, visitors from the legal sector and senior government officials from the Mainland and overseas jurisdictions in 2023. Furthermore, our judges and judicial officers continued to participate in exchanges with their counterparts in the Mainland and other jurisdictions by attending conferences and seminars, held both locally and outside Hong Kong. Some of the significant exchanges are set out below.

In March, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court; the Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; the Hon Mr Justice Anthony CHAN and the Hon Mr Justice David LOK, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, visited cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. The delegation met with Mr YANG Wanming, Vice-President of the Supreme People’s Court (“the SPC”), visited court facilities, attended discussion forums and had professional exchanges with Mainland judges and judicial staff on judicial issues and court operational matters.

In the same month, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Joseph FOK and the Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal, attended the Asia Pacific Judicial Colloquium in Wellington, New Zealand. The Hon Mr Justice Roberto RIBEIRO, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal also participated in the Colloquium via video conferencing. During the Colloquium, the judges engaged in professional exchanges on various topics with their counterparts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore.

In April, Mr Fikrat MAMMADOV, Minister of Justice, Republic of Azerbaijan visited the Judiciary.

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, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court visited Beijing. The delegation met with Chief Justice ZHANG Jun, President of the SPC, and visited other courts and government authorities in Beijing.

In the same month, His Honour Judge Justin KO, Chief District Judge; His Honour Judge CK CHAN, Principal Family Court Judge; and His Honour Judge Simon LO, His Honour Judge George OWN and Her Honour Judge Thelma KWAN, District Judges, visited courts and government authorities in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and attended a seminar on matrimonial and family law matters.

Also in the same month, a three-member delegation led by the Hon Dato Seri Paduka Steven CHONG, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam, visited the Judiciary.

In June, a seven-member delegation led by Mr LI Zhanguo, President of the High People's Court of Zhejiang Province, visited the Judiciary.

In September, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered opening remarks at the opening ceremony of the HCCH Asia Pacific Week 2023 organised by the Hague Conference on Private International Law. The Hon Madam Justice B. CHU, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, and Mr Simon KWANG, Registrar of the High Court, also delivered speeches at the conference.

Moreover, an eight-member delegation led by Professor Dr Arief HIDAYAT, Justice of Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia, and another eight-member delegation led by Mr IP Son Sang, Prosecutor-General of the Macao Special Administrative Region, visited the Judiciary.

In the same month, led by the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG, the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, the Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, and the Hon Madam Justice Queeny AU-YEUNG, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered presentations at the Seventh Seminar of Senior Judges of Cross-Strait and Hong Kong and Macao held in Macao.

Importantly, the SPC and the Judiciary launched an attachment programme in 2023, whereby judges and judicial officers of the Mainland and Hong Kong would visit each other's courts in order to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s judicial systems and court operations, focusing primarily on civil and commercial areas. Three Mainland judges were attached to the High Court between mid-September and mid-December.

From late October to early November, the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, with the Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, led a delegation of 17 judges and judicial officers to visit Beijing for an eight-day exchange programme jointly organised by the National Judges College and the Hong Kong Judicial Institute. During the visit, the delegation engaged in exchanges with their counterparts in the Mainland and attended discussion forums and thematic talks on judicial issues and the latest developments of the country. The delegation also visited court premises and facilities relating to technology and culture, etc.

In November, the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, gave a keynote speech at the Hong Kong Legal Week 2023. The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, and the Hon Mr Justice Jonathan HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, spoke at the Judicial Roundtable and the Judicial Conference of the 5th UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit 2023 respectively.

In the same month, an eight-member delegation led by Mr ZHANG Haibo, President of the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province, visited the Judiciary.

Meeting challenges on caseload

In 2023, the Judiciary continued to face the dual challenges of a heavy caseload and limited judicial manpower at various levels of court. Court operations were also burdened with challenges arising from an increasing number of complex cases, including those related to the 2019 anti-extradition amendment bill incidents (“anti-EAB cases”) and national security (“NS cases”), as well as the persistent influx of leave applications for judicial review in respect of non-refoulement claims and related appeals at the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal.

The Judiciary has taken pro-active and multi-pronged measures to make the best possible use of the available manpower and court facilities to process as much court business as efficiently as possible, with priority given to anti-EAB and NS cases as appropriate. Such measures include -

(a)	engaging additional judicial manpower – the Judiciary conducts open recruitment exercises for judges and judicial officers at different levels of court from time to time with a view to maintaining sufficient judicial manpower to meet operational needs;
(b)	adopting a more pro-active case management approach for anti-EAB and NS cases, including imposing tight procedural timetables;
(c)	making use of longer court sitting hours and Saturday sittings where appropriate;
(d)	adopting alternative means of disposal for civil proceedings (including judicial reviews) such as remote hearings and paper disposal where appropriate; and
(e)	enhancing courtroom capacity and providing additional court facilities.

With these practical initiatives, the Judiciary managed to process a substantial overall caseload, including an increasing number of complex cases which require longer processing times. With priority allocated to complex cases in respect of the anti-EAB and NS, the Judiciary had disposed of some 2 140 (or around 93%) of over 2 310 anti-EAB cases and over 170 cases (or around 85%) of about 200 NS cases brought at various levels of court. The Judiciary also managed to dispose of an overall caseload comparable to that of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic and achieved the target court waiting times for majority of the civil cases in 2023. However, due to the deployment of judicial resources to handle with prioritiy anti-EAB and NS cases (many of which are complex cases involving large numbers of defendants and legal representatives, large volumes of video evidence, and longer trials), the average court waiting times for criminal cases were inevitably affected.

Enhancement of court facilities and security

Additional court facilities were furnished in 2023 for meeting increasing operational needs. One mega courtroom and three standard courtrooms were commissioned in the Wanchai Tower in 2023. Six more new courtrooms in the High Court Building and three more courtrooms in the Revenue Tower are expected to be completed in 2024.

The construction works for a new District Court Building commenced in September 2023. These new facilities are intended to provide a dedicated law courts building for the reprovisioning and co-location of the District Court, the Family Court and the Lands Tribunal. The works are expected to be completed in 2026, for the new building to begin operations in 2027.

In respect of court security, the works for extending security screening to all floors of the High Court Building are in development, in addition to the security screening already in operation at the Court of Final Appeal Building and the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, as well as the District Court and the Family Court. As part of on-going efforts to ensure the safety of judges, judicial officers, Judiciary staff and court users, these measures aim to prevent prohibited items from being brought into court premises.

With a significant number of cases attracting public and media attention, the Judiciary has been taking appropriate crowd management and security measures, including adopting queuing and ticketing arrangements to ensure a fair allocation of seats and an orderly admission of court users, using CCTV recording to deter unruly behaviour, as well as deploying security manpower proportionately to maintain order and security in court premises.

Greater use of technology

The Judiciary has spared no effort in making greater and more effective use of technology with a view to enhancing the efficiency of court operations. In 2023, implementation of a series of key technology initiatives continued to proceed apace, including e-filing under the Information Technology Strategy Plan (“ITSP”), increased use of e-bundles at court hearings where appropriate, e-appointments for specific court services as well as a digital evidence and exhibits handling system.

Over the past few years, under the ITSP, the Judiciary has been developing and implementing the integrated Court Case Management System (“iCMS”) in phases across all levels of court for handling court-related documents and payments via electronic mode. The iCMS had been implemented in the District Court and the Magistrates’ Courts since May and December 2022 respectively. This platform can now be used for Personal Injuries Actions, Tax Claims, Civil Actions and Employees’ Compensation Cases of the District Court, and summons cases of the Magistrates’ Courts. Incremental rollout of the iCMS for public use in other courts is targeted to start in 2024. These include the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, the non-summons cases of the Magistrates’ Courts and the Small Claims Tribunal.

To facilitate a quicker and wider migration to the electronic mode of litigation, the Judiciary has been planning to mandate the use of iCMS for all legally represented litigants within a specified target timeframe. In this regard, the Judiciary will consult the legal profession and other stakeholders on the implementation arrangements in January 2024, while putting in place safeguards to ensure unrepresented litigants’ right of access to court.

In conjunction with the implementation of the ITSP, the Judiciary has been using e-bundle hearings for suitable District Court civil cases since December 2020. A new Practice Direction on the use of e-bundles for commercial cases of the Court of First Instance of the High Court has been in force since May 2022. Another new Practice Direction on “Electronic Bundles and Skeleton Arguments for all applications on Company, Winding-up and Bankruptcy Matters” was implemented in July 2023. The feedback from users in such proceedings has been positive. Taking into account this operational experience, the Judiciary will encourage more e-bundle hearings in the near future.

The Judiciary has also been promoting the wider use of remote hearings for civil proceedings. Thus far, over 1 770 remote hearings (including video-conferencing or telephone hearings) have been conducted and the experience of court users has been positive. In order to enable remote hearings for criminal proceedings, the Judiciary has been developing a draft Courts (Remote Hearing) Bill to provide the courts with the flexibility to order remote hearings where appropriate, having regard to all relevant circumstances, as well as the dual requirements of open justice and fairness. The Judiciary launched a three-month public consultation on the draft Bill in June 2022 and consulted the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services of the Legislative Council in May 2023. The Bill is being finalised in light of feedback that has been received and will be introduced into the Legislative Council some time in 2024.

In a separate initiative, the Judiciary is actively exploring the live broadcast of selected judicial proceedings to the public. Live broadcasting of court proceedings enhances the transparency of court procedures and public confidence in the judicial process. The Judiciary is mindful that not all proceedings are inherently suitable for live broadcasting. The Judiciary will launch a trial run of live broadcasting of two court proceedings from the Court of Final Appeal to the public in January 2024. The primary objective of the trial run is to test the technical feasibility of the arrangements, including the information technology and audio-visual setup, as well as the logistical and operational details before, during and after the hearings. Taking into account the technical feasibility assessment, court users’ feedback, and operational experience from the trial run, the Judiciary will conduct a review and consider the way forward for live broadcasting of court proceedings outside court premises in the longer term.

Furthermore, the Judiciary is testing various voice recognition software, particularly in respect of the accuracy of voice recognition, with a longer term view to making use of this technology to record court proceedings and prepare transcripts where appropriate.

Streamlining procedures for family-related proceedings

The Family Procedure Ordinance (Cap. 646) was passed by the Legislative Council in June 2023. The Ordinance provides the statutory basis for a consolidated set of self-contained and streamlined procedural rules for the Family Court, with a view to making the family justice system more efficient, cost-effective and user-friendly. The Family Procedure Rules Committee has been established under the Ordinance as the single authority for making such procedural rules. A new Masters system was also established in the Family Court in October 2023, by which Family Masters are empowered to handle certain procedural work in family-related proceedings in order to alleviate the heavy workload of the Family Judges.

Mutual legal assistance arrangements with the Mainland

Pursuant to Article 95 of the Basic Law, the HKSAR has to date signed nine arrangements with the Mainland on mutual legal assistance in civil, commercial and arbitral matters. Following the passage of the enabling legislation by the Legislative Council in October 2022, the Chief Judge of the High Court promulgated the Mainland Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Reciprocal Enforcement) Rules in November 2023 to provide for the relevant practices and procedures ahead of the “Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” coming into effect on 29 January 2024. The Judiciary has also been discussing with the Government and the Mainland Courts on the enhancement of the arrangement for mutual service of judicial documents in civil and commercial proceedings between the Mainland and Hong Kong Courts.

Highlights of Events in 2023

January
11	Mr Kestrel LAM was appointed as a Permanent Magistrate
16	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG officiated at the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year 2023

February
27	Miss Vienne LUK was appointed as a Permanent Magistrate

March
15	Dr SUN Jin, Director-General of the International Organization for Mediation Preparatory Office, visited the Judiciary
20-22	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG led a Judiciary delegation to visit cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, namely Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Members of the delegation included the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court; the Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; and the Hon Mr Justice Anthony CHAN and the Hon Mr Justice David LOK, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court. The delegation met with Mr YANG Wanming, Vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, and visited court facilities in the three cities, attended forums and had professional exchanges with the Mainland judges and judicial staff on court operation matters and other judicial issues
27-30	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Joseph FOK, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal; and the Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, attended the Asia-Pacific Judicial Colloquium 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. The Hon Mr Justice R A V RIBEIRO, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, also participated in the Colloquium via video-conferencing

April
6	The Hon Patrick KEANE was appointed as a Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal
14	Mr XIA Baolong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, visited the Judiciary
27	Mr Fikrat MAMMADOV, Minister of Justice, Republic of Azerbaijan, visited the Judiciary

May
5	A three-member delegation led by the Hon Dato Seri Paduka Steven CHONG Wan Oon, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam, visited the Judiciary
11-13	His Honour Judge Justin KO, Chief District Judge; His Honour Judge C K CHAN, Principal Family Court Judge; and His Honour Judge Simon LO, His Honour Judge George OWN, and Her Honour Judge Thelma KWAN, District Judges, visited various courts and government authorities in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and attended a seminar on exchanges of matrimonial and family law matters
18	A 19-member delegation of Mainland judges attending the Master of Laws Programme of the City University of Hong Kong visited the Judiciary
20	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG presided over the Ceremony for the Admission of the New Senior Counsel
21-24	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, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, met with Chief Justice ZHANG Jun, the new President of the Supreme People’s Court, and visited courts and government authorities in Beijing
31	The term of office of the Hon Mr Justice Robert FRENCH, Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal, was extended for a period of three years
31/5-4/6	The Hon Mr Justice Russell COLEMAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the International Academy of Family Lawyers Asia Pacific Chapter Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand

June
1	His Honour Judge WONG King Wah was appointed as the Registrar of the Court of Final Appeal and a Senior Deputy Registrar, High Court
2	Members of the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services of the Legislative Council visited the Judiciary
15	A seven-member delegation led by Mr LI Zhanguo, President of the High People's Court of Zhejiang Province, visited the Judiciary
30	The term of office of the Rt Hon the Lord COLLINS of Mapesbury, Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal, was extended for a period of three years

July
8	The Hon Mr Justice Keith YEUNG and the Hon Madam Justice Yvonne CHENG, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court; and His Honour Judge Anthony KWOK and Her Honour Judge Amanda WOODCOCK, District Judges, adjudicated the Finals of the Hong Kong Bar Association Debating Competition 2023

August
4	A 50-member delegation from the China-AALCO Exchange and Research Program on International Law visited the Judiciary
24-26	The Hon Mr Justice Kevin ZERVOS, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, delivered a speech at the 12th Annual Legal Era India Conclave 2023 in New Delhi, India
27	His Honour Judge Clement LEE, District Judge, delivered a keynote speech at the Conference on “Hong Kong Bilingual Legal System: Retrospect and Prospect”, organised by the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong

September
7	An eight-member delegation led by Professor Dr Arief HIDAYAT, Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia, visited the Judiciary
11-14	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Madam Justice Bebe CHU, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court; and Mr Simon KWANG, Registrar of the High Court, delivered speeches at “The HCCH Asia Pacific Week 2023 – Access to Justice and Sustainable Development: The Impact of the HCCH in an Inter-Connected World” organised by the Hague Conference on Private International Law
11/9-15/12	Three Mainland judges visited the Judiciary for exchanges with a focus on civil and commercial areas
15	An eight-member delegation led by Mr IP Son Sang, Prosecutor-General of the Public Prosecutions Office of the Macao Special Administrative Region, visited the Judiciary
20	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG; the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court; the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; the Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; and the Hon Madam Justice Queeny AU-YEUNG, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the Seventh Seminar of Senior Judges of Cross-Strait and Hong Kong and Macao held in Macao
21	Her Honour Judge Elaine LIU, District Judge, delivered a speech at the Seminar on Family Mediation Practice 2023 organised by Hong Kong Family Welfare Society
25	A group of 26 Mainland judges attending the 16th Advanced Programme for Chinese Senior Judges of the City University of Hong Kong visited the Judiciary
28	Ms Minnie WONG was appointed as a Permanent Magistrate

October
17	The Hon Madam Justice Mimmie CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the seminar on "Mainland-HK Arrangement on Interim Measures Four Years on: Retrospect and Prospect" via a pre-recorded video
29/10-5/11	A 17-member delegation of Judges and Judicial Officers led by the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, visited Beijing for an exchange visit programme. The delegation engaged in exchanges with Mainland Judges and attended discussion forums and thematic talks on various topics. The delegation also visited court premises and facilities relating to technology and culture, etc.
31	The Hon Mr Justice Tony POON, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the Second Summit for the digitalization in the Judiciary hosted by the Judiciary of North Macedonia via a pre-recorded video
31	A four-member delegation led by Sir Gibuma Gibbs SALIKA, the Hon Chief Justice of the National and Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea, visited the Judiciary

November
6	Professor TIAN He, Head of the Center for National Index of Rule of Law of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, visited the Judiciary
6	The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the Fifth UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) Asia Pacific Judicial Summit - Judicial Conference
7	The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, delivered a speech at the Fifth UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit - Judicial Roundtable
10	The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, delivered a keynote speech at the Hong Kong Legal Week 2023: The Rule of Law for the Future
15-16	The Hon Mr Justice David LOK, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the 2023 World Intellectual Property Organization Intellectual Property Judges Forum in Geneva, Switzerland
16	A four-member delegation led by the Rt Hon the Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, President of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, visited the Judiciary
19	The Hon Madam Justice Linda CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the Greater Bay Area Bankruptcy Law Forum via a pre-recorded video
27	A seven-member delegation led by Mr ZHANG Haibo, President of the High People's Court of Guangdong Province, visited the Judiciary

December
6	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Tony POON, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the 66th Annual General Meeting of the Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong
7	Officials from the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province, the Labour Affairs Bureau of Macao and the Labour Department of Hong Kong visited the Labour Tribunal
9	The Hon Mr Justice David LOK, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the International Seminar on Judicial Protection Involving Intellectual Property Rights via a pre-recorded video
13	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered opening remarks at the Law Society of Hong Kong’s Pro Bono and Community Service Award Presentation Ceremony 2023

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, GBM

The Hon Mr Justice Joseph FOK

The Hon Mr Justice Johnson LAM

- Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal

The Hon Mr Justice Kemal 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 COLLINS of Mapesbury

The Rt Hon the Lord PHILLIPS of Worth Matravers, GBS

The Hon Mr Justice William GUMMOW

The Hon Mr Justice Robert FRENCH

The Rt Hon Madam Justice Beverley McLACHLIN

The Rt Hon Lord SUMPTION

The Hon Mr Justice Patrick KEANE

- Registrar of the Court of Final Appeal

Mr WONG King Wah

High Court

- Chief Judge of the High Court

The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON

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

The Hon Mr Justice Andrew MACRAE, V-P

The Hon Madam Justice Susan KWAN, V-P

The Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, V-P

The Hon Mr Justice Peter CHEUNG, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Aarif BARMA, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Derek PANG, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Kevin ZERVOS, JA

The Hon Mr Justice Thomas 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 BARNES

The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan 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 Bebe CHU

The Hon Mr Justice David LOK

The Hon Madam Justice Susana D'ALMADA REMEDIOS

The Hon Mr Justice Wilson CHAN

The Hon Madam Justice Lisa WONG

The Hon Mr Justice Tony POON

The Hon Mr Justice Alex LEE

The Hon Mr Justice Russell COLEMAN

The Hon Mr Justice Keith YEUNG

The Hon Madam Justice Linda CHAN

The Hon Mr Justice Johnny CHAN

The Hon Madam Justice Anna LAI

The Hon Madam Justice Yvonne CHENG

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

Ms TAM Wan Chi, Winnie, SBS, SC, JP

Mr WONG Kai Ming, Stewart, SC

Mr FUNG Ting Sek, Eugene, SC

Mr Charles Peter MANZONI, SC

Mr HUI Siu Ting, Martin, SC

Ms SIT Yat Wah, SC

Ms LAM Yan Kay, Rachel, SC

Mr WONG Ming Fung, SC

Mr Victor DAWES, SC

Mr KHAW Wei Kiang, Richard, SC

Mr José-Antonio MAURELLET, SC

Mr CHAN Lok Shung, Abraham, SC

Mr PAO Jin Long, SC

Miss WONG Pui Kei, Maggie, SC

Mr CHAN Ching Lung, Derek, SC

- Registrar, High Court

Mr Simon KWANG

- Senior Deputy Registrars, High Court

Mr Andy HO

Mr WONG King Wah

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 Simon LEUNG

His Honour Judge Eddie YIP

Her Honour Judge Katina LEVY

His Honour Judge Frankie YIU

His Honour Judge Douglas YAU

His Honour Judge W K KWOK

His Honour Judge Josiah LAM

His Honour Judge Anthony KWOK

Her Honour Judge Amanda WOODCOCK

His Honour Judge K H HUI

His Honour Judge Jack WONG

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 Simon LO

His Honour Judge Issac TAM

Her Honour Judge Angela KOT

His Honour Judge Reuden LAI

His Honour Judge George OWN

Her Honour Judge Grace CHAN

His Honour Judge Ivan 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 LIN

Her Honour Judge A N TSE CHING

His Honour Judge K C CHAN

Her Honour Judge Phoebe MAN

Her Honour Judge Lily WONG

Her Honour Judge Kathie CHEUNG

Her Honour Judge Thelma KWAN

His Honour Judge Jonathan WONG

Her Honour Judge Elaine LIU, BBS

His Honour Judge Dick HO

Lands Tribunal

- Members, Lands Tribunal

Mr Lawrence PANG

Mr Alex NG

Magistrates' Courts and other Tribunals

- Chief Magistrate

Mr Victor SO

- Principal Magistrates

Mr Simon LUI

Miss Ada YIM

Mr Don SO

Miss Ivy CHUI

- Magistrates

Mr Brian MAK

Mr CHEANG Kei Hong

Mr Raymond WONG

Ms Amy CHAN

Miss Josephine CHOW

Mr Lawrence YIP

Mr Jason WAN

Mr LI Chi Ho

Ms Susan WONG

Ms Winnie LAU

Mr Daniel TANG

Mr David CHEUNG

Mr CHENG Lim Chi

Ms Michelle LAM

Mr David CHUM

Mr Timon SHUM

Mr David KO

Miss HO Wai Yang

Ms June CHEUNG

Miss Debbie NG

Ms Veronica HEUNG

Ms Doris TO

Ms Kelly SHUI

Ms Catherine CHENG

Mr Kenneth CHAN

Mr LEE Siu Ho

Mr Raymund CHOW

Ms Isabella CHU

Mr David CHAN

Ms Peony WONG

Mr Colin WONG

Ms Rita SO

Miss Jacqueline LEE

Mr Stanley HO

Ms Michelle SOONG

Ms LEUNG Ka Kie

Ms Stephanie TSUI

Ms Jocelyn LEUNG

Mr Norton PANG

Ms May CHUNG

Miss Louise CHAN

Mr Edward WONG

Mr LAM Tsz Kan

Mr Matthew LEUNG

Miss Betty LAU

Mr Andrew MOK

Miss Frances LEUNG

Mr Arthur LAM

Ms Monica CHOW

Ms Anny CHAK

Mr Maurice LAM

Ms Eleanor YEUNG

Miss Jo SIU

Mr LUNG Gwun Ting

Miss Minnie WAT

Mr Peter YU

Mr Jeffrey SZE

Mr Dominic PUN

Ms Charmaine LO

Ms Vivian HO

Mr Philip CHAN

Mr TSANG Chung Yiu

Miss Vivian LEE

Mr Patrick TSANG

Mr Gary CHU

Mr Ross LI

Mr Kestrel LAM

Miss Vienne LUK

Ms Minnie WONG

Judges and Judicial Officers who retired/left the Judiciary in 2023

- Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal

The Rt Hon the Lord WALKER of Gestingthorpe, GBS (It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of The Rt Hon the Lord WALKER of Gestingthorpe, GBS on 17.11.2023)

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

The Hon Madam Justice Maria YUEN, JA (Retired in 2023)

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

The Hon Mr Justice Joseph YAU, SBS (Retired in 2023)

The Hon Mr Justice Albert WONG, SBS (Retired in 2023)

The Hon Mrs Justice A P CAMPBELL-MOFFAT (Retired in 2023)

- District Judges

His Honour Judge K K PANG (Retired in 2023)

- Principal Magistrates

Mr Peter LAW (Retired in 2023)

- Magistrates

Mr Jacky IP (Left service in 2023)

Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels

Court of Final Appeal

CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Applications for leave to appeal
Criminal	35	58	43	69 (47)	29 (20)	46 (24)
Civil	564	670	352	539 (497)	574 (538)	326 (250)
Total	599	728	395	608	603	372
Substantive appeals
Criminal	10	4	13	10	4	11
Civil	6	14	10	6	7	11
Total	16	18	23	16	11	22
Miscellaneous proceedings	0	0	0	0	0	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	2021	2022	2023
Applications for leave to appeal
From notice of hearing to hearing
Criminal	45	34	37	36
Civil	35	34	30	31
Substantive appeals
From notice of hearing to hearing
Criminal	100	82	99	89
Civil	120	88	95	89

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 *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Court of Appeal
Appellate
Criminal
Appeals from the Court of First Instance	83	75	75	112	87	72
Appeals from the District Court	212	161	171	165	159	178
Sub-total	295	236	246	277	246	250
Civil
Appeals from the Court of First Instance	559	466	413	730	479	331
Appeals from the District Court	15	18	10	15	7	22
Miscellaneous Appeals	25	17	16	22	27	14
Sub-total	599	501	439	767	513	367
Review of Sentences
Criminal
Reviews from the Court of First Instance	3	3	1	0	2	4
Reviews from the District Court	9	8	3	4	8	8
Reviews from the Magistrates' Courts	9	2	1	12	5	2
Sub-total	21	13	5	16	15	14
Total	915	750	690	1 060	774	631
Miscellaneous Proceedings	602	556	381	449	534	421

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

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Court of First Instance Appellate
Criminal
Appeals from Magistrates' Courts	608	460	496	443	614	351
Civil
Appeals from Labour Tribunal	18	18	32	23	21	17
Appeals from Small Claims Tribunal	53	42	41	41	55	49
Appeals from Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board	0	4	1	1	3	2
Miscellaneous Appeals	1	7	6	5	2	4
Sub-total	72	71	80	70	81	72
Total	680	531	576	513	695	423
First Instance
Criminal Jurisdiction
Criminal Cases	256	223	446	320	237	301
Confidential Miscellaneous Proceedings	545	883	749	545	883	749
Application for Discharge	0	0	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous Proceedings (Criminal)	724	637	882	686	581	833
Sub-total	1 525	1 743	2 077	1 551	1 701	1 883
Civil Jurisdiction
High Court Actions	1 960	1 858	2 113	1 254	1 048	1 164
Miscellaneous Proceedings	2 233	2 208	2 488	1 571	1 535	1 630
Bankruptcy & Companies Winding-up+	8 169	7 860	9 134	8 844	7 982	8 904
Personal Injuries Actions	428	341	367	512	427	348
Other cases#	2 218	2 074	2 912	1 806	1 716	1 937
Sub-total	15 008	14 341	17 014	13 987	12 708	13 983
Total	16 533	16 084	19 091	15 538	14 409	15 866
Masters Chambers
Interlocutory hearings**	24 416	19 114	20 938	23 450	15 621	18 741
Taxation bills	592	475	414	476(1)	422(1)	403(1)
Probate
Applications	21 978	23 006	26 298	20 390(2)	21 890(2)	23 718(2)

*	Case disposal refers to appeals which have been allowed, dismissed, withdrawn, discontinued or abandoned with or without a 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)
**	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	2021	2022	2023
Court of Appeal
Criminal - from setting down of a case to hearing	50	48	48	47
Civil - from application to fix date to hearing	90	86	81	64
Court of First Instance
Criminal Fixture List - from filing of indictment to hearing*	-	383	323	352
Civil Fixture List - from application to fix date to hearing	180	176	178	158
Civil Running List - from not-to-be-warned date to hearing	30	16	15	26
Appeals from Magistrates' Courts - from lodging of Notice of Appeal to hearing	90	168	160	208

*

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 *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Application for Review	0	0	0	0	0	0
Enforcement Action	2	3	3	1	1	1
Action	0	0	0	2	0	0
Miscellaneous Proceedings	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	2	3	3	3	1	1

*	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 seven 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 *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Criminal Jurisdiction
Criminal Cases	1 171	1 193	1 331	1 001	862	1 136
Civil Jurisdiction
Civil	5 956	5 252	5 954	5 033	3 738	4 426
Tax Claim	735	719	643	493	707	575
Distress for Rent	4 492	3 222	4 979	4 300	3 041	4 712
Employee's Compensation	2 760	2 687	2 892	2 892	2 530	2 631
Other civil cases +	8 884	9 497	10 358	4 955	4 989	5 448
Sub-total	22 827	21 377	24 826	17 673	15 005	17 792
Family Jurisdiction
Matrimonial Causes	13 344	12 802	14 831	12 142	9 448	13 105
Joint Applications	4 430	3 711	5 790	4 550	3 578	4 814
Miscellaneous Proceedings	277	234	230	258	214	213
Adoption Applications	81	54	52	55	48	40
Reciprocal Enforcement Proceedings^	-	1	11	-	0	2
Sub-total	18 132	16 802	20 914	17 005(1)	13 288(1)	18 174(1)
Total (Civil)	40 959	38 179	45 740	34 678	28 293	35 966
Total	42 130	39 372	47 071	35 679	29 155	37 102
Masters Chambers
Interlocutory hearings**	10 534	10 160	11 956	8 299	6 723	8 881
Taxation bills
Divorce	885	571	483	903	541	474
Others	466	417	487	251	152	200
Sub-total	1 351	988	970	1 154(2)	693(2)	674(2)
Total	11 885	11 148	12 926	9 453	7 416	9 555

*	Case disposal refers to cases 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
^	New case type came into effect on 15 February 2022
**	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	2021	2022	2023
Criminal - from first appearance of defendants in District Court to hearing	100	287	350	442
Civil Fixture List - from date of listing to hearing	120	108	116	115
Civil Running List - from not-to-be-warned date to hearing	30	20	18	14
Dissolution of marriage - from setting down of a case to hearing
Special Procedure List	35	35	35	35
Defended List (all hearings)	110	59	58	53
Financial applications - from setting down of a case to hearing	110-140	74	49	71

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 *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Appeal cases	910	591	674	1 202	818	426
Compensation cases	6	5	8	7	4	5
Building management cases	232	214	174	338	145	173
Tenancy cases	3 193	3 161	3 872	4 158	3 120	3 659
Lands compulsory sale applications	16	22	5	36	34	25
Miscellaneous proceedings applications	1	5	6	4	0	0
Total	4 358	3 998	4 739	5 745	4 121	4 288

*	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	2021	2022	2023
From setting down of a case to hearing
Appeal cases	90	-*	-*	8
Compensation cases	90	64	45	15
Building management cases	90	25	20	32
Tenancy cases	50	16	16	15

*	As there is no appeal case 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*
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Charge Cases	22 471	21 036	24 167	22 252	20 477	23 883
Hawker Cases	1 245	1 420	942	1 232	1 410	944
Departmental & Private Summonses	172 756	171 082	177 589	174 207	160 377	174 650
Driving-Offence Points Summonses	2 307	1 938	2 686	2 233	2 014	2 562
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Traffic)	704	707	592	734	630	636
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction)	83	73	72	86	65	78
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Smoking Offences)	17	11	30	12	14	18
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Vehicle Idling)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Mandatory Window Inspection)	16	21	11	21	21	10
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Plastic Shopping Bag)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Gathering Offence)	424	101	10	423	119	45
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Mask Not Worn)	235	351	93	146	278	200
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Compulsory Testing)	1	0	1	0	1	1
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Premises Direction)^	1	41	19	0	16	39
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Vaccine Pass)»	-	0	0	-	0	0
Penalty Summons (Boothless Mode Toll)▲	-	-	0	-	-	0
Miscellaneous Proceedings	10 509	10 196	12 132	10 341	9 989	11 954
Departmental Notice	617	556	315	623	555	356
Fixed Penalty Notice (Traffic)	156 017	170 379	163 877	160 379	166 199	169 837
Fixed Penalty Notice (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction)	2 760	2 462	2 465	2 802	2 391	2 482
Fixed Penalty Notice (Smoking Offences)	423	326	551	404	376	444
Fixed Penalty Notice (Vehicle Idling)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Notice (Mandatory Window Inspection)	202	231	301	214	204	325
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Plastic Shopping Bag)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Gathering Offence)	1 133	813	98	942	877	269
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Mask Not Worn)	530	1 182	338	454	796	732
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Compulsory Testing)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Premises Direction)^	5	580	349	4	401	529
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Vaccine Pass)»	-	6	5	-	5	6
Penalty Notice (Boothless Mode Toll)▲	-	-	133	-	-	20
Total	372 456	383 512	386 776	377 509	367 215	390 020

*	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 the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation, Cap. 599F came into effect on 29 April 2021
»	New case types pursuant to the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation, Cap. 599L came into effect on 10 February 2022
▲	New case types pursuant to the Road Tunnels (Government) Regulations, Cap. 368A and the Tsing Sha Control Area (Tolls, Fees and Charges) Regulation, Cap. 594B came into effect on 2 July 2021

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE MAGISTRATES' COURTS

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2021	2022	2023
Summonses - from plea to date of trial	50	79	101	74
Charge cases except for Juvenile Court - from plea to date of trial
For defendants in custody	30-45	48	62	48
For defendants on bail	45-60	70	82	66
Charge cases for Juvenile Court - from plea to date of trial
For defendants in custody	30-45	56	94	40
For defendants on bail	45-60	74	89	76

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 *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Claims	4 278	3 378	4 348	4 166	3 807	3 817
Reviews	72	84	125	60	76	130
Restore claims	68	64	57	60	79	54
Set-aside awards	96	77	99	93	101	99
Total	4 514	3 603	4 629	4 379	4 063	4 100

*	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	2021	2022	2023
From appointment to filing of a case	30	25	28	38
From filing of a case to first hearing	30	22	24	23

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*
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Claims	45 649	41 514	52 304	46 827	40 800	50 440
Reviews	207	183	188	219	137	208
Total	45 856	41 697	52 492	47 046	40 937	50 648

*	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	2021	2022	2023
From filing of a case to first hearing	60	39	37	35

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 *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Articles for determination	0	0	0	0	0	0
Articles for classification	38	34	14	38	34	14
Articles for review	0	0	0	0	0	0
Articles for reconsideration	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	38	34	14	38	34	14

*	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	2021	2022	2023
From referral by a magistrate to determination	21	-#	-#	-#
From receipt of application to classification	5	2	2	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 *
	2021	2022	2023	2021	2022	2023
Death inquests with jury	140	115	183	150	122	172
Death inquests without jury	14	16	12	13	17	12
Total	154	131	195	163	139	184

• * 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	2021	2022	2023
From date of listing to hearing	42	64	42	34