Review of 2024

At the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year on 22 January 2024, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG highlighted the paramount importance of this annual event, as it underscores for the community the administration of justice and the rule of law, which form the foundation of Hong Kong's continued prosperity and success under the "One Country, Two Systems" arrangement.

The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG emphasised that under the Basic Law, Hong Kong remains a common law jurisdiction, a framework reaffirmed as a long-term state policy by President XI Jinping during his visit to Hong Kong in 2022. The Chief Justice elaborated on the advantages and benefits of continuing with the common law system in Hong Kong.

First, at the heart of the common law system lies a steadfast commitment to the principles of fairness and equality. The doctrine of precedent, unique to the common law system, ensures that like cases are treated alike, fostering consistency, predictability in court decisions, and public confidence in the judicial process. Secondly, the common law’s strong emphasis on rigorous analysis, analogical reasoning, pragmatism, flexibility, adaptability, and capacity for innovation enables Hong Kong’s legal system to address challenges and meet the evolving demands of society. The common law system is also one with which many of Hong Kong's international business and trading partners and investors are highly familiar. Most importantly, the continuation of the common law system represents a remarkable accomplishment for both the country and Hong Kong, as it exemplifies the successful implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" arrangement, with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region standing as the only common law jurisdiction within an otherwise civil law country.

Recognising the importance of preserving and advancing the common law system in Hong Kong, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG highlighted the critical components of the system that require continued attention and vigilance. Central to the common law system in Hong Kong are its courts and judges, who decide cases and set legal precedents. Therefore, the Judiciary must recruit and retain the best legal and judicial talents to serve in the courts. Additionally, the community must deepen its understanding of the common law system, particularly in distinguishing between a judge personally and his or her decision or reasoning, as well as between a court decision and the Judiciary as a whole. Ultimately, due to the cardinal importance of judicial independence, judges must be able to decide cases and explain their decisions in judgments without interference, illegitimate pressure, or threats of sanction or reprisal.

At the latter part of his speech, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG outlined the measures being taken to enhance the efficiency of the judicial system. These measures include strengthening the Hong Kong Judicial Institute, implementing the electronic litigation system, introducing the Courts (Remote Hearing) Bill, and advancing the new District Court and new High Court complex projects.

Finally, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG reiterated the Judiciary’s duty to effectively prevent, suppress, and impose punishment for any act or activity endangering national security, in accordance with the Hong Kong National Security Law, while fully respecting and giving effect to all fundamental rights. He noted that in recent years, the Judiciary's work has often been seen through the lens of the National Security Law, leading to a limited or distorted view of its scope, diversity, and the overall state of the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong. The Chief Justice emphasised that the courts and judges will continue to discharge their constitutional duty to administer justice fairly and efficiently, without fear or favour, self-interest, or deceit.

Appointment of Judges and Judicial Officers

A number of judicial appointments took effect in 2024.

The Hon James Leslie Bain ALLSOP was appointed as a Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal on 24 May 2024.

His Honour Judge Herbert AU-YEUNG Ho-wing and Her Honour Judge Winnie TSUI Wan-wah were appointed as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 3 July 2024.

His Honour Judge LEUNG Chun-man, His Honour Judge Douglas YAU Tak-hong, His Honour Judge Anthony KWOK Kai-on and Her Honour Judge Amanda Jane WOODCOCK were appointed as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 9 August 2024.

Mr TAM Yiu-ho, SC, was appointed as a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 2 September 2024.

His Honour Judge HUI Ka-ho was appointed as a Senior Deputy Registrar, High Court on 19 January 2024.

Miss Ada YIM Shun-yee, Principal Magistrate, and Mr Lawrence YIP Sue-pui, Permanent Magistrate, were appointed as District Judges on 12 April 2024.

Ms Grace CHOW Chiu-man was appointed as a District Judge on 30 April 2024.

Mr KWONG Ka-tung was appointed as a District Judge on 5 June 2024.

Ms Phillis LOH Lai-ping was appointed as a District Judge on 18 June 2024.

Miss Liza Jane Mary CRUDEN was appointed as a District Judge on 9 July 2024.

Mr LAM Chin-ching was appointed as a District Judge on 28 August 2024.

Ms Michelle LAM Mei-sze, Permanent Magistrate, was appointed as a District Judge on 9 October 2024.

Mr LEE Siu-ho, Permanent Magistrate, was appointed as a District Judge on 3 December 2024.

Judicial training

In 2024, our judges and judicial officers continued to participate in various judicial training activities organised by the Hong Kong Judicial Institute. Since 2021, the Hong Kong Judicial Institute has been organising a series of seminars on Chinese law to strengthen understanding of the legal and judicial system of the Mainland. Continuing the series, a seminar on the Roles, Functions and Duties of the National People's Congress (“NPC”) and the Standing Committee of the NPC under the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China was conducted in March 2024.

Other training activities organised by the Judicial Institute included Sentencing Workshops for Magistrates; training for Family Court judges and family practitioners on Consent Summons on Ancillary Relief and Care Arrangements for Children; and various induction briefings for deputy magistrates/adjudicators. Two courses, namely, the Chinese Judgment Writing course 2024, and the Putonghua Course 2024, were also conducted this year, consisting of group sessions and one-on-one tutorials.

As the use of generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) continues to gain momentum, particularly in the legal field, the Judicial Institute arranged demonstrations by two commercial entities showcasing their newly launched legal platforms incorporating generative AI. Furthermore, the Judicial Institute took part in the 11th International Conference of the International Organisation for Judicial Training, and gave a presentation on the topic of generative AI.

Exchanges with the Mainland and other jurisdictions

The Judiciary continued to strengthen its professional connections with other jurisdictions, including the Mainland and overseas jurisdictions. In 2024, many judges, legal professionals, and senior government officials from the Mainland and overseas jurisdictions visited the Judiciary. Our judges and judicial officers also participated in various professional exchange activities, including attending conferences and seminars　both locally and abroad. Some of the notable exchanges are outlined below.

In January, an eight-member delegation led by Mr YANG Wanming, Vice-President of the Supreme People’s Court (“the SPC”) visited the Judiciary.

In March, the Judiciary co-hosted the 8th Judicial Seminar on Commercial Litigation with the Supreme Court of New South Wales of Australia and the Supreme Court of Singapore in Hong Kong. Four Chief Justices and 30 other senior judges from jurisdictions throughout Asia and the Pacific region, including the SPC, the Federal Court of Australia, and the courts of Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and New Zealand, engaged in professional exchanges during the Seminar.

In April, a 22-member delegation led by the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, visited the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province.

In the same month, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG attended the 5th Full Meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts held in Doha, Qatar.

From mid-April to mid-May, under the attachment programme launched by the SPC and the Judiciary in 2023, three judges and judicial officers were attached to the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province. They visited various levels of courts in Guangdong Province such as those in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, and had professional exchanges with the judges there.

In May, 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 Linda CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, visited Shanghai and Zhejiang. The delegation met with the Executive Vice-President of the SPC, Mr DENG Xiuming, attended seminars and engaged in professional exchanges with Mainland judges.

In August, a five-member delegation from the High Court of Sheger City, Ethiopia, visited the Judiciary.

In September, the Hon Martin CAUCHON, Vice Chairman of the Canada China Business Council, visited the Judiciary.

In the same month, a nine-member delegation led by the Hon Judge Khalid Ali AL OBAIDLI, President of the Investment and Trade Court of Qatar, visited the Judiciary.

From mid-September to mid-December, under the attachment programme, four Mainland judges were attached to the High Court. They also visited various levels of courts in Hong Kong, including the District Court, the Family Court, and the Magistrates’ Courts, where they engaged in exchanges with our judges and judicial officers.

In October, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG attended the 19th Conference of Chief Justices of Asia and the Pacific and the opening ceremony of the 37th LAWASIA Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In the same month, a five-member delegation from the East China University of Political Science and Law visited the Judiciary.

In November, the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court led a delegation of 20 judges and judicial officers to visit Chengdu 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 in the country. The delegation also visited court premises and facilities relating to technology and culture, etc.

In the same month, the Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered opening remarks at the opening ceremony of “Rule of Law: The Best Business Environment” under Hong Kong Legal Week 2024. The Hon Mr Justice David LOK, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, also spoke as a panelist at one of the panel sessions. Mr Simon KWANG, Registrar of the High Court, delivered a keynote speech at “Joint Contribution to the Construction of Rule of Law in the GBA” under Hong Kong Legal Week 2024.

Moreover, Professor Ignacio TIRADO, Secretary-General of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, visited the Judiciary.

Later that month, an eight-member delegation led by Mr JIA Yu, President of the High People's Court of Shanghai, visited the Judiciary.

In addition, a five-member delegation led by Mr Adam Williams, CEO and Comptroller General of the Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom, visited the Judiciary.

Meeting challenges on workload

In 2024, the Judiciary continued to face the challenge of a persistently heavy caseload, driven by an increasing number of complex civil and criminal cases. These included cases related to the 2019 anti-extradition amendment bill incidents (“anti-EAB cases”) and cases concerning national security (“NS cases”), as well as leave applications for judicial review in respect of non-refoulement claims and related appeals at both the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal.

To address these challenges, the Judiciary has undertaken ongoing and proactive efforts to expedite court proceedings through multi-pronged measures while steadfastly upholding the principles of justice. These measures include engaging additional permanent and temporary judicial manpower, implementing proactive case management, extending court sitting hours, expanding the use of technology, and enhancing court facilities.

Thanks to these efforts by all judges and judicial officers, and support staff, the Judiciary managed to handle an overall caseload in 2024 (including a number of complex cases requiring longer processing times) comparable to that in 2023 and 2019, prior to the pandemic. In overall terms, the target average court waiting times for the majority of civil cases across different levels of court were generally met. There were also considerable improvements in the average waiting times for most criminal proceedings, except for certain types of criminal cases in the Court of First Instance of the High Court, where long trials of complex cases were heard. Priority has been allocated to complex anti-EAB and NS cases. As of 2024, the Judiciary has cleared approximately 2 260 (or around 96%) of over 2 350 anti-EAB cases and over 200 cases (or around 86%) of about 230 NS cases brought at various levels of court. This is expected to gradually reduce the impact of these cases on the average court waiting times for other proceedings. In recent years, the Judiciary has also been conducting open recruitment for judges and judicial officers more frequently. The response to the latest round of recruitment launched in mid-2023 was encouraging. By late 2024, seven Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court and nine District Judges have been appointed. With this additional judicial manpower, the Judiciary anticipates steady and more substantial improvements to court waiting times for proceedings at all levels of courts in the coming years.

Promoting the Use of Mediation in Court Proceedings

Mediation, as a common mode of alternative dispute resolution, has been introduced as a voluntary resolution process under the Civil Justice Reform since April 2009. It aims to assist parties in court proceedings to resolve their differences in a more efficient, cost-effective and amicable manner.

To ensure that parties are fully informed of the intrinsic values and benefits of mediation, judges and judicial officers normally refer parties to attend information sessions organised by the Mediation Offices and to seek other court-related mediation services. In 2024, over 1 500 parties/litigants visited the Mediation Offices, and 935 information sessions were arranged. Additionally, the dedicated webpage providing litigants and the public with updated information on court-related mediation services recorded 352 000 hits in 2024.

In support of the new Family Court-annexed Mediation Scheme, introduced on a pilot basis in March 2024, facilities at the Family Court and District Court premises were enhanced. Private dispute resolution rooms and associated breakout rooms were made available for mediators to interview the parties. In 2024, more than half of the mediated cases referred by the Judiciary reached full or partial settlement in 2024, with the new scheme achieving a success rate of about 93%.

Enhancement of court facilities and security

Additional court facilities were furnished in 2024 to address the Judiciary’s increasing operational needs. Six new courtrooms in the High Court Building and three new courtrooms in the Revenue Tower in Wan Chai were commissioned in 2024.

The construction works for a new, purpose-built District Court Building at Caroline Hill Road commenced in September 2023. The new building is designed 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 by the end of 2026, allowing operations to commence by late 2027.

As announced at the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year in 2024, the current sites of the Queensway Government Offices (i.e. the land adjacent to the existing High Court Building) and the existing High Court Building have been reserved for the development of a new High Court Building. The Judiciary has already commenced the initial preparatory work for this major project.

Regarding court security, security screening measures were expanded in 2024 to enhance safety across court premises. Screening was extended to all floors of the High Court Building in April 2024; the Magistrates’ Courts Buildings and the Tsuen Wan Law Courts Building in November 2024; and the Lands Tribunal and the Labour Tribunal in December 2024. These measures build upon the security screening measures already in operation at the Court of Final Appeal Building and the West Kowloon Law Courts Building, the District Court and the Family Court. As part of ongoing efforts to safeguard judges and 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 implemented enhanced crowd management and security measures. These include queuing and ticketing arrangements to ensure a fair allocation of seats and orderly admission of court users, the use of CCTV recording to prevent unruly behaviour, and deploying security manpower proportionately to maintain order and security in court premises.

Greater use of technology in court operations

The Judiciary has been making proactive efforts to expand and deepen the use of technology to enhance the efficiency of court operations. In 2024, the implementation of a series of key technology initiatives continued to progress steadily.

The integrated Court Case Management System (“iCMS”) has been implemented in the District Court and the Magistrates’ Courts since May and December 2022 respectively. In October 2024, it was extended to the Small Claims Tribunal, with plans for successive rollouts to the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court and the Magistrates’ Courts (for non-summons cases) starting in 2025. To facilitate a quicker and wider migration to the electronic mode of litigation, the Judiciary plans to mandate the use of the iCMS as from 2026 for all legally represented litigants in case types where the electronic mode is available. In this regard, the Judiciary consulted the legal profession and other key stakeholders on the implementation arrangements in January 2024, receiving generally supportive responses.

The Judiciary has been promoting the wider use of remote hearings for civil proceedings. To date, around 2 100 remote hearings (including video-conferencing or phone hearings) have been conducted, with court users reporting positive experiences. To enable remote hearings for suitable criminal proceedings, the Judiciary prepared a draft Courts (Remote Hearing) Bill to provide a legal basis for conducting remote hearings, after considering all relevant circumstances, including the dual requirements of open justice and fair hearing, where appropriate. After taking into account extensive feedback from earlier consultations, the Bill was finalised and introduced into the Legislative Council on 4 December 2024.

Separately, the Judiciary has been actively pursuing the live broadcast of selected judicial proceedings to enhance the transparency of court procedures and bolster public confidence in the judicial process. Trial runs for live broadcasting were conducted for four selected cases of the Court of Final Appeal between January and May 2024. These trial runs went smoothly and were generally well received. The Judiciary is now reviewing the outcomes and considering the way forward for long-term implementation.

In July 2024, the Judiciary issued its first set of guidelines on the use of generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) for judges and judicial officers and support staff. These guidelines, which have also been uploaded to the Judiciary’s website, were drawn up with reference to similar guidelines issued by courts in other jurisdictions. They allow judges and judicial officers and support staff to make prudent and responsible use of generative AI in their work where appropriate. The guidelines will be subject to further review and revisions to ensure alignment with developments in AI technology and the experiences of other courts.

The Judiciary remains committed to exploring and enhancing the efficiency of court operations through the use of technology.

Streamlining procedures for family-related proceedings

The Family Procedure Ordinance (“Cap. 646”) was enacted in June 2023. The Ordinance provides a statutory basis for a consolidated, self-contained and streamlined set of procedural rules applicable to all family and matrimonial proceedings across the Family Court and the High Court. It aims to make the family justice system more efficient, cost-effective, and user-friendly. The Family Procedure Rules Committee, established under the Ordinance as the single rule-making authority, is currently preparing the detailed drafting of these procedural rules. In addition, a new Masters system was introduced in the Family Court in October 2023. Under this system, Family Masters are empowered to handle various procedural matters in family-related proceedings, easing 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. In preparation for the coming into force of the “Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland and of the HKSAR” on 29 January 2024, the Judiciary promulgated a new Practice Direction (“PD 38”) to govern the practice and procedure for the new mechanism. The Judiciary, in collaboration with the Government, has also been engaging in discussions with the SPC to enhance the 1999 “Arrangement for Mutual Service of Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Proceedings between the Mainland and Hong Kong Courts”.

Highlights of Events in 2024

January
1	Mr Martin HUI, SC; Ms SIT Yat Wah, SC; and Ms Rachel LAM, SC, were re-appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
19	His Honour Judge HUI Ka Ho was appointed as a Senior Deputy Registrar, High Court
22	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG officiated at the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year 2024
29	A seven-member delegation led by Mr YANG Wanming, Vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, visited the Judiciary

February
1	Mr Eugene FUNG, SC, was re-appointed as Recorder of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years

March
1	The term of office of the Rt Hon the Lord NEUBERGER of Abbotsbury, Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal, was extended for a period of three years
14-15	The Judiciary co-hosted the eighth Judicial Seminar on Commercial Litigation with the Supreme Court of New South Wales of Australia and the Supreme Court of Singapore in Hong Kong
15	The Judiciary and the Judiciary of Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance judicial exchanges in promoting the efficient administration of the family justice systems in the two jurisdictions
28	A 27-member delegation of the Legal and Judicial Training Centre of the Macao Special Administrative Region visited the Judiciary

April
8	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Russell COLEMAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered speeches at the 4th Conference of the International Advocacy Training Council 2024
12	Miss Ada YIM and Mr Lawrence YIP were appointed as District Judges
15/4-10/5	A three-member delegation of Judges and Judicial Officers led by His Honour Judge Herbert AU-YEUNG, the then District Judge, attended an attachment programme in Guangdong Province under the reciprocal attachment programme in collaboration with the Supreme People’s Court
17	A 22-member delegation led by the Hon Madam Justice Carlye CHU, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, visited the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province and the Guangzhou Internet Court, and had professional exchanges with the Mainland judges and judicial staff on technology application in courts
20-21	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 Jonathan HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the fifth Full Meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts in Doha, Qatar
23-26	The Hon Mr Justice Godfrey LAM, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, delivered a speech at the 4th Judicial Roundtable on Commercial Law in London, the United Kingdom
23	A two-member delegation led by Mr TAN Jian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of the Netherlands cum Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, visited the Judiciary
24	A group of 46 Mainland judges and judicial assistants attending the Doctor of Juridical Science Programme for Chinese Senior Judges and the Master of Laws Programme for Chinese Judges of the City University of Hong Kong visited the Judiciary
30	Ms Grace CHOW was appointed as a District Judge

May
5	The Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, delivered a keynote speech at the 2024 China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission Greater Bay Area Summit
6	The Hon Madam Justice Mimmie CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the International Council for Commercial Arbitration Congress 2024
9	The Hon Mr Justice Syed Kemal Shah BOKHARY, Non-Permanent Hong Kong Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, delivered a keynote speech at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Arbitration “Going Global” Co-operation and Development Forum
11	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG presided over the Ceremony for the Admission of the New Senior Counsel
21-24	The Hon Madam Justice Linda CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the 14th Multinational Judicial Colloquium on Insolvency and the INSOL San Diego Conference 2024 in San Diego, USA
22	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a keynote speech entitled “Combating Corruption and the Rule of Law” at the 8th ICAC Symposium
24	The Hon James Leslie Bain ALLSOP was appointed as a Non-Permanent Judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal
27-31	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG led a Judiciary delegation to visit Shanghai and Zhejiang. Members of the delegation included 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 Linda CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court. The delegation met with Mr Deng Xiuming, the Executive Vice-president of the Supreme People’s Court, attended seminars, and had professional exchanges with Mainland judges on court operations and related judicial issues such as commercial litigation and the use of technology in court

June
5	Mr KWONG Ka Tung was appointed as a District Judge
7	A group of 57 legal professionals attending the 34th Presidents of Law Associations in Asia Summit visited the Judiciary
18	Ms Phillis LOH was appointed as a District Judge
18	A group of 22 government officials and members of the legal profession from Shenzhen attending a thematic training course on construction of rule of law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and legal regulatory interface and connectivity between the three places visited the Judiciary
26	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered a speech at a webinar held by the Hong Kong Association of the United Kingdom

July
3	His Honour Judge Herbert AU-YEUNG and Her Honour Judge Winnie TSUI, District Judges, were appointed as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court
4	A 33-member delegation from the China-AALCO Exchange and Research Program on International Law visited the Judiciary
9	Miss Liza CRUDEN was appointed as a District Judge
13	The Hon Madam Justice Lisa WONG and the Hon Mr Justice Tony POON, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court; and Her Honour Judge Grace CHOW and His Honour Judge KWONG Ka Tung, District Judges, adjudicated the Finals of the Hong Kong Bar Association Debating Competition 2024

August
1	Mr Jenkin SUEN, SC, was appointed as a Recorder of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
9	His Honour Judge LEUNG Chun Man, His Honour Judge Douglas YAU, His Honour Judge Anthony KWOK and Her Honour Judge Amanda WOODCOCK, District Judges, were appointed as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court
16	A 20-member delegation comprising officials from the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council visited the Judiciary
16	The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, was re-appointed as the President of the Competition Tribunal for a term of three years
28	The Hon Madam Justice Mimmie CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the International Bar Association Asia Pacific Regional Forum in Singapore and delivered a speech at a symposium on the role of the courts in arbitration
28	Mr LAM Chin Ching was appointed as a District Judge
30	A five-member delegation from the High Court of Sheger City, Ethiopia, visited the Judiciary

September
2	Mr TAM Yiu Ho, SC, was appointed as a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court
6-7	The Hon Madam Justice Queeny AU-YEUNG and the Hon Mr Justice Russell COLEMAN, Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, and His Hon Judge Ivan WONG, Principal Family Court Judge, delivered speeches at the Modern Families Conference 2024
11	The Hon Martin CAUCHON, Vice-Chair of the Canada China Business Council, visited the Judiciary
12	A 14-member delegation from Mainland Justice Departments/Bureaux as well as the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council visited the Judiciary
19/9-13/12	Four Mainland judges were attached to the High Court for judicial exchanges under an attachment programme
24	A nine-member delegation led by His Excellency Judge Khalid bin Ali AL OBAIDLY, President of the Investment and Trade Court of Qatar, visited the Judiciary
24	A three-member delegation of the Counselling and Psychological Services of the Family Justice Courts of Singapore visited the Judiciary
26	A group of 33 Mainland judges attending the 17th Advanced Programme for Chinese Senior Judges of the City University of Hong Kong visited the Judiciary
27	The Hon Madam Justice Linda CHAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the Forum on Asian Insolvency Reform in Singapore

October
1	Mr WONG Ming Fung, SC; Mr Victor DAWES, SC; Mr Richard KHAW, SC; Mr José-Antonio MAURELLET, SC; Mr Abraham CHAN, SC; and Mr PAO Jin Long, SC, were re-appointed as Recorders of the Court of First Instance of the High Court for a term of three years
7	The Hon Mr Justice Jonathan HARRIS, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the INSOL Seoul Seminar in Seoul, South Korea
9-10	The Hon Mr Justice David LOK, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, attended the 2024 World Intellectual Property Organization Intellectual Property Judges Forum in Geneva, Switzerland
9	Ms Michelle LAM was appointed as a District Judge
10-14	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG attended the 19th Conference of Chief Justices of Asia and the Pacific and the opening ceremony of the 37th LAWASIA Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
15	A five-member delegation from the East China University of Political Science and Law visited the Judiciary
25	The terms of office of the Hon Mr Justice Kemal 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
30/10-1/11	The Hon Mr Justice Russell COLEMAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at the 20th National Family Law Conference in Perth, Australia

November
3-10	A 20-member delegation of Judges and Judicial Officers led by the Hon Mr Justice Jeremy POON, Chief Judge of the High Court, visited Sichuan for an exchange visit programme. The delegation engaged in exchanges and attended discussion forums and thematic talks on various topics. The delegation also visited court buildings and facilities relating to technology and culture, etc.
7	Professor Ignacio TIRADO, Secretary-General of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, visited the Judiciary
7	Mr Simon KWANG, Registrar of the High Court, delivered a keynote speech at the Hong Kong Legal Week 2024: Joint Contribution to the Construction of Rule of Law in the GBA
8	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew CHEUNG delivered opening remarks at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Legal Week 2024: Rule of Law: The Best Business Environment. The Hon Mr Justice David LOK, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, also attended one of the panel discussions as a speaker for the introduction
11-12	The Hon Mr Justice Kevin ZERVOS, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court, attended the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee Asia Conference in Singapore
13	An eight-member delegation led by Mr JIA Yu, President of the Shanghai High People’s Court, visited the Judiciary
13	The Hon Mr Justice Russell COLEMAN, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, delivered a speech at an advanced legal education talk for the Hong Kong Bar Association
15	The Hon Mr Justice Douglas YAU, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court; Her Honour Judge Lily WONG and Her Honour Judge Kathie CHEUNG, District Judges, gave a talk on the topic “Observations from the bench: The Handling of District Court cases” at the Department of Justices
15	A 20-member delegation comprising members from the Panel of Advisers to the Youth Court, staff from the Rehabilitation and Protection Group of the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and judges from the Youth Courts of the Family Justice Courts of Singapore, visited the Judiciary
28	Mr Adam WILLIAMS, Chief Executive of Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom, visited the Judiciary

December
3	Mr LEE Siu Ho was appointed as a District Judge
3	Dr Suyud MARGONO, Chairman of the Indonesian Intellectual Property Attorneys Association, visited the Judiciary
3	Mr LI Zijun, Deputy Commissioner of the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration, visited the Judiciary
5	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 67th Annual General Meeting of the Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong
9	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 2024
9	Mr WU Hongbo, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on European Affairs, visited the Judiciary

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 Rt Hon the Lord NEUBERGER of Abbotsbury, GBS

The Hon Mr Justice William GUMMOW

The Hon Mr Justice Robert FRENCH

The Hon Mr Justice Patrick KEANE

The Hon Mr Justice James ALLSOP

- 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, SBS

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 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, BBS

The Hon Madam Justice Yvonne CHENG

The Hon Mr Justice Herbert AU-YEUNG

The Hon Madam Justice Winnie TSUI

The Hon Mr Justice Simon LEUNG

The Hon Mr Justice Douglas YAU

The Hon Mr Justice Anthony KWOK

The Hon Madam Justice Amanda WOODCOCK

The Hon Mr Justice William TAM

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

Mr FUNG Ting Sek, Eugene, 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, BBS, 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

Mr Jenkin SUEN, SC

- Registrar, High Court

Mr Simon KWANG

- Senior Deputy Registrars, High Court

Mr Andy HO

Mr WONG King Wah

Mr HUI Ka-ho

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 Stanley CHAN

His Honour Judge Eddie YIP

His Honour Judge Frankie YIU

His Honour Judge W K KWOK

His Honour Judge Josiah LAM

His Honour Judge Jack WONG

His Honour Judge Gary LAM

His Honour Judge Andrew LI

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 George OWN

Her Honour Judge Grace CHAN

His Honour Judge Ivan WONG

His Honour Judge M K LIU

His Honour Judge Edmond LEE

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

Her Honour Judge Ada YIM

His Honour Judge Lawrence YIP

Her Honour Judge Grace CHOW

His Honour Judge Alan KWONG

Her Honour Judge Phillis LOH

Her Honour Judge Liza CRUDEN

His Honour Judge C C LAM

Her Honour Judge Michelle LAM

His Honour Judge S H LEE

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

Mr Don SO

Miss Ivy CHUI

- Magistrates

Mr Brian MAK

Mr CHEANG Kei Hong

Mr Raymond WONG

Ms Amy CHAN

Miss Josephine CHOW

Mr Jason WAN

Mr LI Chi Ho

Ms Susan WONG

Ms Winnie LAU

Mr Daniel TANG

Mr David CHEUNG

Mr CHENG Lim Chi

Mr David CHUM

Mr Timon SHUM

Mr David KO

Miss HO Wai Yang

Ms June CHEUNG

Miss Debbie NG

Ms Veronica HEUNG

Ms Kelly SHUI

Ms Catherine CHENG

Mr Kenneth CHAN

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 2024

- Non-Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal

The Hon Mr Justice Murray GLEESON, GBS (Term of appointment expired on 29.2.2024)

The Rt Hon the Lord COLLINS of Mapesbury (Left service in 2024)

The Rt Hon the Lord PHILLIPS of Worth Matravers, GBS (Term of appointment expired on 30.9.2024)

The Rt Hon Madam Justice Beverley McLACHLIN (Term of appointment expired on 29.7.2024)

The Rt Hon Lord SUMPTION (Left service in 2024)

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

The Hon Madam Justice Bebe CHU, SBS (Retired in 2024)

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

Mr Charles Peter MANZONI, SC (Term of appointment expired on 31.1.2024)

- District Judges

His Honour Judge Michael WONG (Retired in 2024)

Her Honour Judge Katina LEVY (Retired in 2024)

His Honour Judge Reuden LAI (Retired in 2024)

- Magistrates

Ms Doris TO (Retired in 2024)

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 *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Applications for leave to appeal
Criminal	58	43	43	29 (20)	46 (24)	48 (33)
Civil	670	352	186	574 (538)	326 (250)	572 (536)
Total	728	395	229	603	372	620
Substantive appeals
Criminal	4	13	12	4	11	9
Civil	14	10	12	7	11	11
Total	18	23	24	11	22	20
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	2022	2023	2024
Applications for leave to appeal
From notice of hearing to hearing
Criminal	45	37	36	37
Civil	35	30	31	31
Substantive appeals
From notice of hearing to hearing
Criminal	100	99	89	97
Civil	120	95	89	95

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 *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Court of Appeal
Appellate
Criminal
Appeals from the Court of First Instance	75	75	82	87	72	85
Appeals from the District Court	161	171	190	159	178	179
Sub-total	236	246	272	246	250	264
Civil
Appeals from the Court of First Instance	466	413	537	479	331	414
Appeals from the District Court	18	10	15	7	22	15
Miscellaneous Appeals	17	16	25	27	14	17
Sub-total	501	439	577	513	367	446
Review of Sentences
Criminal
Reviews from the Court of First Instance	3	1	0	2	4	0
Reviews from the District Court	8	3	4	8	8	3
Reviews from the Magistrates' Courts	2	1	0	5	2	0
Sub-total	13	5	4	15	14	3
Total	750	690	853	774	631	713
Miscellaneous Proceedings	556	381	249	534	421	340
Other cases #	0	0	1	3	0	0

*	Case disposal refers to appeals/reviews which have been allowed, dismissed, withdrawn, discontinued or abandoned with or without a court order
#	Other cases include Secretary for Justice's Reference and Reservation of Question of Law which statistics are provided in the Annual Report since 2024

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	Caseload			Disposal *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Court of First Instance Appellate
Criminal
Appeals from Magistrates' Courts	460	496	506	614	351	539
Civil
Appeals from Labour Tribunal	18	32	48	21	17	37
Appeals from Small Claims Tribunal	42	41	75	55	49	62
Appeals from Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board	4	1	0	3	2	0
Miscellaneous Appeals	7	6	2	2	4	4
Sub-total	71	80	125	81	72	103
Total	531	576	631	695	423	642
First Instance
Criminal Jurisdiction
Criminal Cases	223	446	452	237	301	371
Confidential Miscellaneous Proceedings	883	749	698	883	749	698
Application for Discharge	0	0	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous Proceedings (Criminal)	637	882	1 012	581	833	980
Sub-total	1 743	2 077	2 162	1 701	1 883	2 049
Civil Jurisdiction
High Court Actions	1 858	2 113	2 586	1 048	1 164	1 444
Miscellaneous Proceedings	2 208	2 488	2 826	1 535	1 630	1 876
Bankruptcy & Companies Winding-up+	7 860	9 134	10 958	7 982	8 904	10 518
Personal Injuries Actions	341	367	375	427	348	323
Other cases#	2 074	2 912	3 256	1 716	1 937	2 340
Sub-total	14 341	17 014	20 001	12 708	13 983	16 501
Total	16 084	19 091	22 163	14 409	15 866	18 550
Masters Chambers
Interlocutory hearings**	19 114	20 938	24 236	15 621	18 741	21 455
Taxation bills	475	414	437	422(1)	403(1)	324(1)
Probate
Applications	23 006	26 298	28 335	21 890(2)	23 718(2)	26 609(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), 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) and High Court Reciprocal Enforcement Cases (a new case type created for handling registration applications made under the Mainland Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (Reciprocal Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 645), Order 71 and Order 71A of The Rules of the High Court (Cap. 4A) and Mainland Judgments in Matrimonial and Family Cases (Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement) Ordinance (Cap. 639) in the Court of First Instance with effect from 29 January 2024)
**	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	2022	2023	2024
Court of Appeal
Criminal - from setting down of a case to hearing	50	48	47	47
Civil - from application to fix date to hearing	90	81	64	66
Court of First Instance
Criminal Fixture List - from filing of indictment to hearing*	-	323	352	369
Civil Fixture List - from application to fix date to hearing	180	178	158	172
Civil Running List - from not-to-be-warned date to hearing	30	15	26	16
Appeals from Magistrates' Courts - from lodging of Notice of Appeal to hearing	90	160	208	131

*

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 *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Application for Review	0	0	0	0	0	0
Enforcement Action	3	3	0	1	1	1
Action	0	0	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous Proceedings	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	3	3	0	1	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 ten 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 *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Criminal Jurisdiction
Criminal Cases	1 193	1 331	1 623	862	1 136	1 334
Civil Jurisdiction
Civil	5 252	5 954	7 736	3 738	4 426	5 572
Tax Claim	719	643	477	707	575	429
Distress for Rent	3 222	4 979	7 529	3 041	4 712	7 329
Employee's Compensation	2 687	2 892	2 839	2 530	2 631	2 618
Other civil cases +	9 497	10 358	11 689	4 989	5 448	4 756
Sub-total	21 377	24 826	30 270	15 005	17 792	20 704
Family Jurisdiction
Matrimonial Causes	12 802	14 831	13 858	9 448	13 105	13 515
Joint Applications	3 711	5 790	6 131	3 578	4 814	5 423
Miscellaneous Proceedings	234	230	273	214	213	240
Adoption Applications	54	52	51	48	40	48
Reciprocal Enforcement Proceedings^	1	11	13	0	2	9
Sub-total	16 802	20 914	20 326	13 288(1)	18 174(1)	19 235(1)
Total (Civil)	38 179	45 740	50 596	28 293	35 966	39 939
Total	39 372	47 071	52 219	29 155	37 102	41 273
Masters Chambers
Interlocutory hearings**	10 160	11 956	13 814	6 723	8 881	10 391
Taxation bills
Divorce	571	483	450	541	474	438
Others	417	487	510	152	200	198
Sub-total	988	970	960	693(2)	674(2)	636(2)
Total	11 148	12 926	14 774	7 416	9 555	11 027

*	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	2022	2023	2024
Criminal - from first appearance of defendants in District Court to hearing	100	350	442	397
Civil Fixture List - from date of listing to hearing	120	116	115	110
Civil Running List - from not-to-be-warned date to hearing	30	18	14	14
Dissolution of marriage - from setting down of a case to hearing
Special Procedure List	35	35	35	35
Defended List (all hearings)	110	58	53	42
Financial applications - from setting down of a case to hearing	110-140	49	71	73

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 *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Appeal cases	591	674	833	818	426	552
Compensation cases	5	8	10	4	5	6
Building management cases	214	174	232	145	173	166
Tenancy cases	3 161	3 872	4 201	3 120	3 659	3 488
Lands compulsory sale applications	22	5	1	34	25	8
Miscellaneous proceedings applications	5	6	4	0	0	2
Total	3 998	4 739	5 281	4 121	4 288	4 222

*	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	2022	2023	2024
From setting down of a case to hearing
Appeal cases	90	-*	8	6
Compensation cases	90	45	15	46
Building management cases	90	20	32	34
Tenancy cases	50	16	15	18

*	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*
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Charge Cases	21 036	24 167	26 449	20 477	23 883	25 876
Hawker Cases	1 420	942	809	1 410	944	801
Departmental & Private Summonses	171 082	177 589	169 702	160 377	174 650	172 411
Driving-Offence Points Summonses	1 938	2 686	2 696	2 014	2 562	2 613
Taxi-Driver-Offence Points Summonses#	-	-	0	-	-	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Traffic)	707	592	682	630	636	640
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction)	73	72	136	65	78	120
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Smoking Offences)	11	30	30	14	18	36
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Vehicle Idling)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Mandatory Window Inspection)	21	11	7	21	10	9
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Plastic Shopping Bag)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Gathering Offence)	101	10	0	119	45	8
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Mask Not Worn)	351	93	2	278	200	42
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Compulsory Testing)	0	1	0	1	1	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Premises Direction)^	41	19	0	16	39	4
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Vaccine Pass)»	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Plastic Product)%	-	-	0	-	-	0
Fixed Penalty Summonses (Feed Wild Animals/Pigeons)@	-	-	0	-	-	0
Penalty Summons (Boothless Mode Toll)▲	-	0	0	-	0	0
Miscellaneous Proceedings	10 196	12 132	13 941	9 989	11 954	13 184
Departmental Notice	556	315	224	555	356	206
Fixed Penalty Notice (Traffic)	170 379	163 877	151 222	166 199	169 837	156 534
Fixed Penalty Notice (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction)	2 462	2 465	2 070	2 391	2 482	2 108
Fixed Penalty Notice (Smoking Offences)	326	551	973	376	444	1 011
Fixed Penalty Notice (Vehicle Idling)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Notice (Mandatory Window Inspection)	231	301	117	204	325	143
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Plastic Shopping Bag)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Gathering Offence)	813	98	0	877	269	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Mask Not Worn)	1 182	338	0	796	732	68
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Compulsory Testing)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Premises Direction)^	580	349	0	401	529	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Vaccine Pass)»	6	5	0	5	6	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Plastic Product)%	-	-	0	-	-	0
Fixed Penalty Recovery Order (Feed Wild Animals/Pigeons)@	-	-	0	-	-	0
Penalty Notice (Boothless Mode Toll)▲	-	133	10 487	-	20	9 599
Total	383 512	386 776	379 547	367 215	390 020	385 413

*	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
%	New case types pursuant to section 83 of the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance, Cap. 603 came into effect on 22 April 2024
@	New case types pursuant to section 5 of Schedule 9 of the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance , Cap. 170 came into effect on 1 August 2024
#	New case type pursuant to the Taxi-Driver-Offence Points Ordinance, Cap. 647 came into effect on 22 September 2024

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE MAGISTRATES' COURTS

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2022	2023	2024
Summonses - from plea to date of trial	50	101	74	45
Charge cases except for Juvenile Court - from plea to date of trial
For defendants in custody	30-45	62	48	40
For defendants on bail	45-60	82	66	53
Charge cases for Juvenile Court - from plea to date of trial
For defendants in custody	30-45	94	40	54
For defendants on bail	45-60	89	76	69

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 *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Claims	3 378	4 348	4 879	3 807	3 817	4 857
Reviews	84	125	152	76	130	131
Restore claims	64	57	65	79	54	62
Set-aside awards	77	99	95	101	99	88
Total	3 603	4 629	5 191	4 063	4 100	5 138

*	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	2022	2023	2024
From appointment to filing of a case	30	28	38	36
From filing of a case to first hearing	30	24	23	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*^
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Claims	41 514	52 304	57 454	40 800	50 440	53 821
Reviews	183	188	224	137	208	213
Total	41 697	52 492	57 678	40 937	50 648	54 034

*	Case disposal refers to claims which have been made successfully or dismissed
^	On or before 2023, the definition of case disposal was based on party disposal, i.e. a case was treated as disposed of once one party in a case had been disposed of. Since 2024, the definition has been refined to the effect that a case is considered as disposed of only when all the parties involved have been disposed of

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNAL

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	Average Waiting Time (days)
	Target	2022	2023	2024
From filing of a case to first hearing	60	37	35	41

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 *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Articles for determination	0	0	8	0	0	8
Articles for classification	34	14	155	34	14	155
Articles for review	0	0	0	0	0	0
Articles for reconsideration	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	34	14	163	34	14	163

*	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	2022	2023	2024
From referral by a magistrate to determination	21	-#	-#	18
From receipt of application to classification	5	2	2	3
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 *
	2022	2023	2024	2022	2023	2024
Death inquests with jury	115	183	120	122	172	128
Death inquests without jury	16	12	18	17	12	19
Total	131	195	138	139	184	147

• * 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	2022	2023	2024
From date of listing to hearing	42	42	34	32

Greater Use of Technology in Court Operations

The progress of key technology initiatives is summarized below.

The integrated Court Case Management System (“iCMS”) 1
•	Successfully implemented in the District Court as of May 2022, currently covering Personal Injuries Actions, Tax Claims, Civil Actions and Employees’ Compensation Cases.
•	Rolled out in summons cases of the Magistrates’ Courts in December 2022.
•	Launched in bulk claims cases of the Small Claims Tribunal as of October 2024.
•	Scheduled to expand to other courts (the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court and non-summons cases of the Magistrates’ Courts) for use incrementally starting from 2025.
•	Mandatory use of the iCMS is planned to begin in 2026 for all legally represented litigants in case types where the electronic mode is available. The legal profession and other key stakeholders were consulted regarding the implementation arrangements in January 2024.

E-bundle hearings
•	Between December 2020 and December 2024, around 140 e-bundle hearings were successfully conducted in the High Court, the District Court and the Family Court. Most of these hearings pertained to civil trials in the Court of First Instance, such as hearings related to company disputes, winding-up proceedings, and bankruptcy matters.
•	Efforts will focus on encouraging greater adoption of e-bundle hearings, drawing from operational experience and lessons learned.

Remote hearings
•	Between 2020 and December 2024, approximately 2 100 remote hearings (including video-conferencing or phone hearings) were successfully conducted.
•	To provide a clear legal framework for remote hearings, the Courts (Remote Hearing) Bill was introduced into the Legislative Council on 4 December 2024, and is currently under scrutiny.

Live broadcasting of court proceedings outside court premises
•	From January to May 2024, trial runs of live broadcasting were conducted for four selected cases of the Court of Final Appeal, to test the technical feasibility, as well as the logistical and operational arrangements.
•	A comprehensive review is currently underway to determine the way forward for live broadcasting of court proceedings outside court premises as part of a longer-term strategy.

Use of voice-to-text (“VTT”) technology (an artificial intelligence (“AI”) technology) for recording court proceedings
•	Incremental deployment of VTT technology across various levels of court began in late 2024, aimed at streamlining the note-taking process for judges and judicial officers during hearings.
•	Exploration of further applications is underway to utilize VTT technology for producing court transcripts, with the goal of enhancing efficiency and ensuring the accurate generation of transcripts over the long term.

Guidelines on the use of generative AI
•	The first set of guidelines governing the use of generative AI for judges and judicial officers and support staff was promulgated in July 2024.
•	Judges and judicial officers and support staff are encouraged to make prudent and responsible use of generative AI in the course of their duties, ensuring its application is both appropriate and aligned with the guidelines.

Information technology (“IT”) infrastructure
•	The Legislative Council approved the funding commitment of around $781 million in May 2024 for the development of IT infrastructure in the new District Court Building on Caroline Hill Road and upgrading of IT infrastructure of the Judiciary.
•	Detailed implementation arrangements are in progress, including the design, planning, procurement, and installation of the systems and equipment incorporating the latest IT and audio-visual technologies; building a new primary data centre in the new District Court Building to support all court premises; as well as upgrading the IT infrastructure in the West Kowloon Law Courts Building data centre to serve as the backup data centre for all premises in the Judiciary.
•	The project is targeted for completion by the end of 2027 to coincide with the commissioning of the new District Court Building.

IT security
•	The IT security policy is being updated, and the IT security measures are being strengthened across various areas in alignment with the relevant IT security standards and requirements stipulated by the Government.
•	The IT infrastructure facilities of the new District Court Building have been designed to meet the highest level of IT security mandated by the Government, ensuring robust protection and compliance.
•	The core technologies and technical services adopted conform to the highest government standards in data management and protection, service stability and sustainable development. These measures address three key aspects of information and data security: confidentiality, integrity and availability.