Hong Kong Case Law: Decisions & Judgments

Topic

Costs taxation

Legal area

Court

27 Jan 2026

CHRISTINE RUTH ONG CHAI HOON AND OTHERS v. LAM KIN CHUNG AND OTHERS

Citation

[2026] HKCFI 638
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCA1793/2012

The court found special circumstances on the evidence—namely contradictions between pleaded case and key allegations, incoherence in a central alleged notification, failure to properly plead or prove the case against one defendant and a collective retrospective construction of evidence by the plaintiffs—such that indemnity costs are appropriate; accordingly the plaintiffs' summons to vary the costs order nisi was dismissed and the costs order nisi was made absolute for KC Lam and eBiz and Tommy Lai, with ancillary directions for taxation of summons costs on a party and party basis if not agre…
23 Dec 2025

A v. B

Citation

[2025] HKCFI 6367
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCCT125/2024

Defendant succeeded in obtaining a stay in favour of arbitration and established that the arbitration clause operated as written; Plaintiff's arguments that the clause was inoperative were unmeritorious and Plaintiff contested the summons up to the substantive hearing; absent special circumstances the established practice and authorities require awarding indemnity costs in such cases; accordingly the costs of and occasioned by the summons are to be paid by Plaintiff to Defendant on an indemnity basis, to be taxed if not agreed.
28 Nov 2025

CHEN JINHUI v. WONG KAM SAN (黃錦新), by his guardian ad litem, HUANG YUEXIA (黃月霞) AND OTHERS

Citation

[2025] HKCA 1025
Court

Court of Appeal
Case number

CACV173/2021

The appeal (CACV 173/2021) is dismissed; neither the Defendants' nor the Plaintiff's proposed saving clauses were necessary or appropriate; the 1st to 3rd Defendants must pay the Plaintiff's costs of the appeal, to be taxed if not agreed with certificate for two counsel; costs of the summons awarded 70% to the Plaintiff to be assessed summarily with limited leave to object.
28 Nov 2025

IP, PATRICK v. CHAN MEANNE CHING MAN

Citation

[2025] HKDC 1967
Court

District Court
Case number

DCCJ1717/2024

Because the Defendant made serious unfounded allegations, breached the Heads of Agreement, produced altered emails amounting to an attempt to mislead the Court, and then failed to attend or explain, the Court exercised its discretion to vary the Costs Order nisi and award all costs to the Plaintiff on an indemnity basis with certificate for counsel.
17 Nov 2025

TSEN YUN LEI v. LO KIN FUNG

Citation

[2025] HKCFI 5526
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCCW121/2013

Although Sunni obtained some relief against Michael Kao (equitable compensation with interest), the court exercised its discretion on costs and found Sunni's unlawful means conspiracy claim against Michael Kao was unmeritorious and invited disproportionate and separable defence effort; having weighed partial successes, conduct and the increase in length/costs to Michael Kao, the just and proportionate order was that there be no order as to costs between Sunni and Michael Kao, with an order nisi that the costs of submissions on costs be borne by Sunni, taxed if not agreed, and paid to Michael…
9 Sept 2025

CHIU YEE MUI v. FUNG YUEN KWAN, VERONICA

Citation

[2025] HKCFI 3892
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCA148/2024

The judge exercised case-management powers to stay these proceedings in favour of the ancillary relief proceedings; applied an issue-based costs approach: Defendant awarded entirety of costs for the Main Stay Issue; Plaintiff awarded 80% of costs for the Striking-out Issue; no order as to costs on the Master's Stay Order; costs to be taxed if not agreed with certificate for two counsel; apportioned overall costs 55%/35%/10% for taxation purposes.
2 May 2025

WONG WAI LAP JACK v. TO KING SAU TSO, TANG SHEUNG, Manager of TO KING SAU TSO AND OTHERS

Citation

[2025] HKDC 726
Court

District Court
Case number

DCCJ2450/2018

The court granted default judgment against the 1st Defendant because the Amended Statement of Claim, taken alone under O.19 r7, pleaded continuous exclusive factual possession and intention to possess Lot 598 for over 20 years, thereby establishing adverse possession and extinguishing the registered owner's title under s17 Limitation Ordinance; the application against the 3rd Defendant was dismissed because material pleading errors (including an implausible 1898 ownership date and the likelihood the registered owner is deceased) fatally undermined substituted service and the proceeding as to…
31 Mar 2025

GHALAY ROMA v. SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE sued for and on behalf of DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION

Citation

[2025] HKDC 493
Court

District Court
Case number

DCCJ1155/2021

Defendant failed to prove exceptional circumstances to displace the prima facie entitlement under Order 22 r20(1). The court accepted that the plaintiff enjoyed a reasonable prospect of recovering damages above the Small Claims Tribunal limit when issuing proceedings; therefore plaintiff is entitled to costs up to acceptance to be taxed on District Court scale, summarily assessed at HK$15,000 after a broad-brush reduction of manifestly excessive items.
4 Mar 2025

MOUNTAIN ROAD HOLDINGS LTD v. PLAINVIM INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE INDUSTRIAL PARKS HOLDINGS LTD (previously known as PLAINVIEW INTERNATIONAL PROPERTIES DEVELOPMENT HOLDINGS AND ANOTHER

Citation

[2025] HKCFI 920
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCCT60/2023

The Originating Summons was dismissed. The plaintiff failed to show the requisite real risk of dissipation to justify a Mareva injunction and failed to justify proceeding ex parte without notice in respect of the interim injunction restraining breach of Clause 6.1; although there was a serious issue to be tried on breach of Clause 6.1, the ex parte ambush was unjustified and there was relevant non-disclosure (not deliberate) in the ex parte papers. Accordingly the defendants were entitled to costs but justice required apportionment: defendants awarded 80% of costs on a party and party basis t…
12 Feb 2025

GREEN LIGHT MULTIPLEX CO LTD (formerly known as GREEN LIGHT MARKETING CO LTD and GLM INTERNATIONAL LTD) v. LAM SHI YAN

Citation

[2025] HKCFI 702
Court

Court of First Instance
Case number

HCA2128/2015

The court would have awarded the interest claimed when delivering judgment but omitted to do so by accidental slip; accordingly the omission is correctable under Order 20 r.11 and interest is awarded on the net judgment sum from the date of the writ at the specified rates, and the 1st defendant must pay the plaintiff's costs of the application to be taxed if not agreed.