A journalist for more than 30 years, Cliff Buddle began his career as a court reporter in London and moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to join the SCMP.
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 glacial process has prompted the Law Society to call for drastic measures. Justin Yuen Hoi-ying, chairman of the body’s standing committee on standards and development, urged the judiciary to consider extending court hours. He suggested simple and procedural matters might be heard in the evenings or on Sundays.