Long delays for Hong Kong court cases demand urgent action
Justice delayed, it is often said, is justice denied. If that is true, many court users in Hong Kong are being failed by the system. Those involved in criminal cases at the Court of First Instance must wait 358 days on average for the hearing, the judiciary revealed last week. The figure for the District Court is 354 days, way above the court’s 100-day target. This is a cause of concern. The…
Hong Kong's court system is struggling with unacceptably long delays, with cases taking an average of 358 days to be heard in the Court of First Instance and 354 days in the District Court, far exceeding the 100-day target. This issue has prompted calls for urgent action from the Law Society, with its chairman Justin Yuen Hoi-ying suggesting extending court hours and hearing simple matters on weekends.
The problem is not new, having been a concern since the appointment of the first Judiciary Administrator in 1994. The current surge in cases, driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, protests, and the new national security law, has further exacerbated the backlog. While progress has been made, the situation remains dire, with the High Court dealing with its highest number of cases in five years.
The judiciary is implementing various measures, including court hours expansion and new technologies, but these are expected to take time to show results. The city faces unique challenges in maintaining justice, but it must act urgently to address the issue without compromising the quality of legal proceedings. The drive to become a leading legal hub in the region depends on overcoming the current delays.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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