17 Feb 2023
The court exercised its discretion on summary assessment and reduced the 5th Defendant's claimed costs from $136,852 to $80,000 because the application raised only a simple pleading point, involved no actual hearing, and the time charged by counsel was excessive notwithstanding that engaging counsel was reasonable.
1 Apr 2019
The Court held that 'Sponsors contribute/donation' in the contract means donations actually received and does not include a dishonoured cheque; the Small Claims Tribunal erred in law by failing to construe the contract objectively on the established facts. Consequently the Tribunal's award that required the appellant to pay The Venue HK$50,000 (plus interest) was set aside and the appeal allowed.
16 Apr 2010
Although costs were to be assessed on an indemnity basis, the claimed total was excessive given the stay application occupied 2 hours 8 minutes and judgment was delivered the next day; specific reductions were made: parts B and C allowed in full; D1 reduced to $190,000 (50 hours); D2 reduced to $19,000 (5 hours); D3 reduced to $19,000 (5 hours); D4 allowed in full; counsel's fees allowed except for a refresher; F allowed in full. Resulting gross assessment awarded $728,877.
28 Feb 2008
Because the proceedings were exceptionally difficult and complex, the plaintiffs' claimed disbursements and profit costs were reasonable, adequately evidenced and not padded, and the majority of work related to a single, dominant liquidation issue, the court allowed the plaintiffs' Statement of Costs in full and approved dividing the total sum equally among the three actions.