Hong Kong Case Law: Decisions & Judgments | LexChat

Hong Kong Case Law

Duties of counsel at inquests
  • 16 Nov 1987

    RE FONG CHI MING

    Citation
    RE FONG CHI MING
    Court
    Court of First Instance
    Case number
    HCMP1589/1987

    The court held that the coroner's jury verdict must be quashed because (1) there was insufficient evidence before the jury to be sure that the applicant (Fong) had caused the deceased's death, and (2) the Coroner's summing-up contained serious misdirections and non-directions of law—notably failing to instruct the jury that they must be sure (beyond reasonable doubt when appropriate) before naming any person other than the principal suspect and failing to direct that if not so sure they should return homicide by person unknown—thereby rendering the verdict unsafe and amenable to quashing on j…