香港特別行政區 訴 鄧皓文及另一人

香港特別行政區 訴 鄧皓文及另一人

The court held that the trial judge erred in his directions to the jury about the effect of asserted police oppression on a co-accused's recorded confession: where the jury conclude oppression occurred the confession must be discarded regardless of whether parts of it appear true (Mushtaq principle). That error...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2021] HKCA 167
Parties
First Applicant: 鄧皓文 (TANG HO MAN HENRY); Second Applicant: 張志旺 (CHEUNG CHI WONG); Respondent: 香港特別行政區 (HKSAR)
Court
Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction
Hong Kong
Judgment Date
18 February 2021
Case Number
CACC40/2017
Procedural Posture
Criminal Conviction Appeal (leave to Appeal) / Court of Appeal Determination on Leave to Appeal and Conviction Safety
Outcome
First applicant's leave to appeal refused; second applicant's leave granted and conviction quashed
Legal Topics
Confession Admissibility, Co Accused Confession, Mushtaq Rule (oppression and Voluntariness), Identification/voice Evidence, Delayed Complaint, Joint Trial Prejudice, Judicial Summing Up
Source Language
ch
Criminal Law Evidence Procedure Jury Directions Confession Admissibility Co Accused Confession Mushtaq Rule (oppression and Voluntariness) Identification/voice Evidence +3 more

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Parties

鄧皓文 (TANG HO MAN HENRY)

First Applicant

張志旺 (CHEUNG CHI WONG)

Second Applicant

香港特別行政區 (HKSAR)

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Criminal Conviction Appeal (leave to Appeal) / Court of Appeal Determination on Leave to Appeal and Conviction Safety

  1. 1 Whether trial judge erred in refusing to delete parts of co-accused recorded interview implicating another accused
  2. 2 Whether trial judge failed to give correct Mushtaq direction so that jury should discard confession if oppression proved regardless of truth
  3. 3 Whether directions on delayed complaint were inadequate

Ratio Decidendi

The court held that the trial judge erred in his directions to the jury about the effect of asserted police oppression on a co-accused's recorded confession: where the jury conclude oppression occurred the confession must be discarded regardless of whether parts of it appear true (Mushtaq principle). That error rendered the conviction of the second applicant unsafe; leave to appeal and the appeal were allowed for him and his conviction quashed. By contrast the first applicant's challenges failed because the trial judge repeatedly and adequately directed the jury that the co-accused's confession could not be used against him and any retained material was within judicial discretion, so his...

Court Disposition

First applicant's leave to appeal refused; second applicant's leave granted and conviction quashed

Orders

  • First applicant's application for leave to appeal conviction refused
  • Second applicant's conviction and sentence quashed; appeal allowed