律政司司長 訴 梁子揚及另四人

律政司司長 訴 梁子揚及另四人

The court held the original 2‑year starting point for the charged riot offence was an error in principle and manifestly low given the PolyU riot context; the appropriate baseline for the offence was not less than 3 years. Applying recognized plea‑discounts would have produced lower terms (eg. timely pleas reduced by...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2023] HKCA 1318
Parties
Applicant: 律政司司長; First Respondent (d1): LEUNG TSZ YEUNG BRIAN (梁子揚); Second Respondent (d3): KWOK CHI FAN (郭志帆); Third Respondent (d4): HUI NING HIN (許寧軒); Fourth Respondent (d6): MA KA WAI JOYCE (馬嘉惠); Fifth Respondent (d7): YIM KA LONG (嚴家朗)
Court
Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction
Hong Kong
Judgment Date
1 December 2023
Case Number
CAAR1/2023
Procedural Posture
Sentence Review Under Section 81 a Criminal Procedure Ordinance (cap.221) / Post‑sentence Review Application Heard and Decided by Court of Appeal
Outcome
Applicant's review application dismissed
Legal Topics
Riot, Sentencing Principles, Contextual Factors, Guilty Plea Discounts, Prosecutorial Discretion, Plea Bargaining
Source Language
ch
Criminal Law Sentencing Public Order Appeal Riot Sentencing Principles Contextual Factors Guilty Plea Discounts +2 more

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Parties

律政司司長

Applicant

LEUNG TSZ YEUNG BRIAN (梁子揚)

First Respondent (d1)

KWOK CHI FAN (郭志帆)

Second Respondent (d3)

HUI NING HIN (許寧軒)

Third Respondent (d4)

MA KA WAI JOYCE (馬嘉惠)

Fourth Respondent (d6)

YIM KA LONG (嚴家朗)

Fifth Respondent (d7)

Procedural Posture

Sentence Review Under Section 81 a Criminal Procedure Ordinance (cap.221) / Post‑sentence Review Application Heard and Decided by Court of Appeal

  1. 1 Whether the sentencing judge erred in principle by adopting a 2‑year starting point for riot offences
  2. 2 Whether the court may consider the wider PolyU riot as context for sentencing or must not reintroduce archived/uncharged offences
  3. 3 Whether to increase sentences on review and the role of public interest in exercising that discretion

Ratio Decidendi

The court held the original 2‑year starting point for the charged riot offence was an error in principle and manifestly low given the PolyU riot context; the appropriate baseline for the offence was not less than 3 years. Applying recognized plea‑discounts would have produced lower terms (eg. timely pleas reduced by one‑third, later pleas by c.20%), but the Court exercised its discretion under s.81A and declined to increase the existing sentences because doing so would not be in the public interest given mitigating practical considerations (including imminent release). Thus the review application was dismissed.

Court Disposition

Applicant's review application dismissed

Orders

  • Application under section 81A Cap.221 to review the sentences of the five respondents dismissed