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02 August 2024 / Dr Ping-fat Sze
Issue: 8082 / Categories: Features , Profession , International , International justice
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The rule of law, Hong Kong & reality

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It’s time to refocus attention on the administration of criminal justice in this former British colony. Dr Ping-fat Sze explains why
  • Comments on shortcomings in the prosecutorial system in Hong Kong, including the Department of Justice’s lack of oversight of prosecutions by police and public authorities.

The resignation of three visiting judges from the final appeal court of Hong Kong, shortly after the organisers of the 2020 pro-democracy primaries were convicted by the first instance court on 30 May 2024, have sent shock waves through the common law world.

One of the quitting judges, Lord Sumption, raised his concerns in the Financial Times (‘The rule of law in Hong Kong is in grave danger’, 10 June 2024) only to be met with condemnation in the strongest possible terms by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, and in turn, by the chief executive, the chief justice, the chief secretary, the justice secretary, the deputy justice secretary and the security chief of Hong Kong in the following

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
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