香港特別行政區 訴 關保林

香港特別行政區 訴 關保林

The Court allowed leave and allowed the appeal: although the psychiatric evidence did not positively establish insanity for the material time, the conviction was unsafe because the trial judge failed adequately to consider whether the appellant had the requisite intent to steal for attempted robbery and did not...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2021] HKCA 776
Parties
Respondent: 香港特別行政區; Applicant: 關保林 (Kwan Po Lam)
Court
Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction
Hong Kong
Judgment Date
1 June 2021
Case Number
CACC77/2020
Procedural Posture
Criminal Conviction Appeal / Leave to Appeal Against Conviction Granted; Appeal Heard on Conviction Merits
Outcome
Appeal allowed; conviction and sentence quashed
Legal Topics
Insanity Defence (m'naghten), Attempted Robbery, Mens Rea (intent to Permanently Deprive), Burden and Standard of Proof, Unsafe Conviction, Assessment of Witness and Psychiatric Evidence
Source Language
ch
Criminal Law Evidence Mental Disorder/insanity Defence Appeals Insanity Defence (m'naghten) Attempted Robbery Mens Rea (intent to Permanently Deprive) Burden and Standard of Proof +2 more

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Parties

香港特別行政區

Respondent

關保林 (Kwan Po Lam)

Applicant

Procedural Posture

Criminal Conviction Appeal / Leave to Appeal Against Conviction Granted; Appeal Heard on Conviction Merits

  1. 1 Whether the defendant satisfied the legal test for insanity under the M'Naghten rules at the time of the offence
  2. 2 Whether the trial judge erred in assessing the burden/standard of proof placed on the defendant for the insanity defence
  3. 3 Whether the evidence supported a finding that the defendant had the requisite intent to steal (mens rea) for attempted robbery

Ratio Decidendi

The Court allowed leave and allowed the appeal: although the psychiatric evidence did not positively establish insanity for the material time, the conviction was unsafe because the trial judge failed adequately to consider whether the appellant had the requisite intent to steal for attempted robbery and did not explain differences in treatment between the two counts; on the totality of the evidence there were real doubts as to intent and the appellant was entitled to benefit of those doubts, so the conviction and sentence for the second count were quashed.

Court Disposition

Appeal allowed; conviction and sentence quashed

Orders

  • Leave to appeal against conviction granted
  • Appeal against conviction allowed