XN000022-1994-01-10 — Page 5

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1994

HIGH

PRE-TRIAL REVIEWS IS DONE FOR ALL CRIMINAL TRIALS IN THE

BE DEALT COURT, WITH THE AIM OF DEALING WITH ALL MATTERS WHICH MAY WITH BEFORE, RATHER THAN DURING TRIAL.

BUT MAY

DOES

THE

"IT DOES NOT SAVE A LOT OF COURT TIME IN SHORT CASES, SAVE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME IN A LONG TRIAL. WHETHER IT

OR NOT, OR THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT DOES, DEPENDS ON HOW FIRMLY

OR INHIBITING JUDGE CONTROLS THE PRE-TRIAL REVIEW, WITHOUT STIFLING

ARE WHO HAVE THE THE PARTIES, AND HOW WELL PREPARED THE LAWYERS CONDUCT OF THE CASE," HE NOTED.

AND CIVIL

ON RUNNING LIST, SIR TI LIANG SAID BOTH CASES THAT HAVE BEEN FIXED FOR TRIAL MAY COLLAPSE ON THE IN A CIVIL CASE THE PARTIES MAY SETTLE, AND IN A CRIMINAL ACCUSED MAY PLEAD GUILTY.

CRIMINAL FIRST DAY.

CASE THE

TO GET

HE ELABORATED: "THE DIFFICULTY FOR THE COURT IS THEN ANOTHER CASE PLACED IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

THE FIXTURE "IT SOMETIMES HAPPENS THAT THERE IS A CASE FROM

FIXTURE LIST AVAILABLE FOR THAT DAY, WHERE THE JUDGE DUE TO TAKE THAT

THAT, HOWEVER, IS HAS A CASE THAT HAS LASTED LONGER THAN EXPECTED. RARE.

'WE,

THEREFORE, INTRODUCED INTO HONG KONG SOME YEARS AGO IS CALLED A RUNNING LIST."

WHAT

MORE THIS IS A LIST WHERE THE HEARING IS ESTIMATED TO TAKE NOT

HAVE TO BE THAN FIVE DAYS, AND NEITHER THE PARTIES NOR WITNESSES BROUGHT FROM OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

THESE CASES ARE CALLED ON AT VERY SHORT NOTICE APPEARS, AS A RESULT OF A FIXTURE CASE COLLAPSING.

A WHEN

GAP

WHOLE, TO BE

"THIS SYSTEM ENABLES SUCH SHORT CASES, ON THE DEALT WITH VERY MUCH SOONER THAN THEY WOULD IF THEY HAD TO WAIT FOR FIXED DATE TO BE AVAILABLE, HR SAID.

17

A

DID

THE CHIEF JUSTICE EMPHASISE THAT THE SUCCESS OF THAT LIST

CONCERNED, DEPEND

BY THE LAWYERS ON A HIGH LEVEL OF PREPARATION

TO FIND AVAILABLE PARTICULARLY THE SOLICITORS, AS THEY MIGHT HAVE COUNSEL AT SHORT NOTICE.

ΤΟ THE

EARLIER, SIR TI LIANG ACKNOWLEDGED IN HIS SPEECH THE RETIREMENT OF A NUMBER OF EXPERIENCED JUDGES "WHOSE DEPARTURE IS A LOSS BENCH AND TO THE COMMUNITY"

JUSTICE THE HIGH

THEY INCLUDED MR JUSTICE CONS, MR JUSTICE FUAD AND MR KEMPSTER FROM THE COURT OF APPEAL, MR JUSTICE HOOPER FROM COURT, AND JUDGES RATTIGAN AND SHARWOOD FROM THE DISTRICT COURT.

ORGANISED JOHN'S

BY CATHEDRAL, CHIEF

THE

THE CEREMONIAL

OF THE LEGAL YEAR OPENING BEGAN

ST JUDICIARY

WITH A CHURCH SERVICE AT THE GARDEN ROAD, AT 4.16 PM. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY AN ADDRESS BY THE JUSTICE AT SUPREME COURT.

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