Hong Kong Case Law: Decisions & Judgments | LexChat

Hong Kong Case Law

Intent/foresight
  • 4 Sept 1991

    THE QUEEN v. CHAN CHI WAH AND OTHERS

    Citation
    THE QUEEN v. CHAN CHI WAH AND OTHERS
    Court
    Court of Appeal
    Case number
    CACC551/1990

    Trial judge's directions on mixed cautioned statements were legally erroneous because they effectively excluded unsworn explanatory material from the jury's consideration contrary to the approach in Duncan/Sharp as adopted in Hong Kong; directions on foresight/intent were also inapt and potentially misleading in the circumstances. Those errors went to the heart of the central issue (intention) and rendered the murder convictions of Chan and Fok unsafe; accordingly the appeals were allowed and the question of retrial or substitution reserved for further hearing.