THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1984
7 -
LI TO REPLACE LEONARD
****
THE CHIEF JUSTICE HAS DESIGNATED MR JUSTICE LI AS VICE- PRESIDENT TO PRESIDE OVER THE THIRD DIVISION OF THE COURT OF APPEAL IN SUCCESSION TO MR JUSTICE LEONARD WHO IS DUE TO RETIRE IN MARCH, 1985.
MR JUSTICE LI WILL TAKE UP HIS NEW APPOINTMENT ON SEPTEMBER 30, THIS YEAR WHEN MR JUSTICE LEONARD COMMENCES PRE-RETIREMENT LEAVE.
MR JUSTICE LI WAS BORN IN HONG KONG IN 1922. HE RECEIVED HIS EDUCATION IN HONG KONG, CHINA AND BRITAIN. HE WAS AWARDED AN LL.B. BY LONDON UNIVERSITY IN 1950 AND WAS CALLED TO THE ENGLISH BAR IN 1951. HE IS A MEMBER OF LINCOLN'S INN.
MR JUSTICE LI JOINED THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S CHAMBERS AS
A CROWN COUNSEL IN 1953 AND WAS PROMOTED TO SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL IN 1962. DURING THAT PERIOD, HE SAT AS A MAGISTRATE FOR EIGHT MONTHS.
HE WAS APPOINTED AS A DISTRICT JUDGE IN 1966, A PUISNE JUDGE IN 1971 AND A JUSTICE OF APPEAL IN 1980.
MR JUSTICE LI WILL JOIN MR JUSTICE HUGGINS AND MR JUSTICE MCMULLIN AS VICE-PRESIDENTS OF THE COURT OF APPEAL.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE JUDICIARY SAID: AT PRESENT, THE COURT OF APPEAL SITS IN THREE DIVISIONS COMPRISING ONE CIVIL DIVISION, ONE CRIMINAL DIVISION AND ONE MIXED DIVISION. EACH DIVISION CONSISTS OF THREE JUDGES.
+NORMALLY, BUT NOT NECESSARILY, THE THREE SENIOR JUSTICES OF APPEAL PRESİDE OVER THE THREE DIVISIONS AND THEY ARE APPOINTED *VICE-PRESIDENTS'. THE PRESIDENT, BEING EX-OFFICIO, IS THE CHIEF JUSTICE WHO FOR MUCH OF THE TIME SITS AS A JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT, AND NOT IN THE COURT OF APPEAL.
+A VICE-PRESIDENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPERVISING THE WORK OF HIS DIVISION. HE PRESIDES OVER THE DIVISION IN COURT AND PLAYS THE LEADING ROLE IN THE HEARING OF CASES. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HE DELIVERS THE JUDGEMENT OF COURT OR, WHERE ALL THREE JUDGES DELIVER JUDGEMENTS, WILL DELIVER THE LEADING JUDGEMENT, HE SAID.
+ IN CRIMINAL CASES, IT IS THE USUAL PRACTICE TO DELIVER ONLY ONE JUDGEMENT. IN EXCEPTIONAL CRIMINAL GASES AND IN CIVIL CASES, THREE JUDGEMENTS ARE COMMONLY DELIVERED TO INDICATE HOW EACH JUDGE ARRIVES AT HIS CONCLUSION. THE LEADING JUDGEMENT IS THE FIRST ONE TO BE DELIVERED AND HAS TO DEAL AT LENGTH WITH THE MATERIAL FACTS. WHERE THE THREE JUDGES ARE NOT UNANIMOUS IN THEIR CONCLUSIONS, THE DECISION OF THE MAJORITY IS BINDING, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.