BUILDING DISASTER RESILIENCE OF
HONG KONG
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The Government announced that it published in the Gazette today the Courts (Remote Hearing) Bill, which aims to enhance judicial efficiency and flexibility. The Government explained that the bill seeks to provide a clear legal basis for judges and judicial officers to order remote hearings for court proceedings at various levels of courts and tribunals where appropriate, having regard to all relevant factors, as well as the dual requirements of open justice and fair hearing. The Courts (Remote Hearing) Bill covers the details of making a remote hearing order, including the factors to be considered by the court and the operation of remote hearings, including the powers of judges, attendance of participants, as well as transmission of documents, presentation of objects and signing of documents. The bill’s other major provisions include the scope and exceptions to the use of remote hearings; the safeguards for open justice in remote hearings and the proposed new offences to criminalise unauthorised recording, publishing and broadcasting of court proceedings conducted through both physical and remote hearings. The Government said that taking into account limitations, risks and concerns in remote hearings for some court proceedings having regard to the paramount consideration of ensuring administration of justice, the bill sets out express exceptions to the use of remote hearings, including hearings of all proceedings relating to national security and criminal trials in all other cases. As the lack of a physical setting may render remote hearing more susceptible to unauthorised recording and publishing of court proceedings, the bill contains new offences to criminalise such conduct which may prejudice or interfere with court proceedings, it added. In response to rising expectations from court users and the community, the Judiciary has been taking proactive measures in making greater use of technology to enhance the efficiency of court operations, with remote hearing as one of the key initiatives in this regard. In line with established practice, the court will direct the use of remote hearings only if it is fair and just to do so, having regard to a host of relevant considerations. It is a case management decision of the court in the exercise of its existing case management powers. Consultations on the draft bill were conducted in February 2021 and June 2022. In general, public response to the use of remote hearings for civil and criminal proceedings in court, and the proposed legislative exercise has been positive. Additionally, key stakeholders including the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong and law enforcement agencies have indicated support for the proposed legislation on remote hearings.
At
5 a.m.
at the Hong Kong Observatory :
Air temperature : 19 degrees Celsius
Relative Humidity : 76 per cent
The air temperatures at other places were:
Hong Kong Observatory19 degrees ;
King's Park18 degrees ;
Wong Chuk Hang19 degrees ;
Ta Kwu Ling17 degrees ;
Lau Fau Shan17 degrees ;
Tai Po17 degrees ;
Sha Tin18 degrees ;
Tuen Mun18 degrees ;
Tseung Kwan O18 degrees ;
Sai Kung19 degrees ;
Cheung Chau17 degrees ;
Chek Lap Kok18 degrees ;
Tsing Yi19 degrees ;
Shek Kong17 degrees ;
Tsuen Wan Ho Koon17 degrees ;
Tsuen Wan Shing Mun Valley18 degrees ;
Hong Kong Park19 degrees ;
Shau Kei Wan19 degrees ;
Kowloon City17 degrees ;
Happy Valley20 degrees ;
Wong Tai Sin19 degrees ;
Stanley19 degrees ;
Kwun Tong18 degrees ;
Sham Shui Po18 degrees ;
Kai Tak Runway Park19 degrees ;
Yuen Long Park18 degrees ;
Tai Mei Tuk18 degrees .
2023 CDW Compendium Volume 19 (No. 1-10)
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