Hong Kong Case Law: Decisions & Judgments | LexChat

Hong Kong Case Law

Joinder of offences

  • 20 Jan 2026

    香港特別行政區 訴 呂思樺及另三人

    Citation
    [2026] HKDC 68
    Court
    District Court
    Case number
    DCCC312/2025

    The court found sufficient common factual origin and linkage among the offences involving D1, D3 and D4—cohabitation, contemporaneous seizure of cash and valuables in the same premises, disproportionality between defendants' declared means and assets and transfers between accounts—such that the laundering charges are sufficiently connected to the fraud and to each other; consolidation therefore granted because it advances judicial economy and the judge can and will consider each charge and each defendant separately without causing unfair prejudice.

  • 17 Jul 1990

    THE QUEEN v. WONG LAP KWONG

    Citation
    THE QUEEN v. WONG LAP KWONG
    Court
    Court of First Instance
    Case number
    HCMA420/1990

    When counts properly joined include some whose proof is aided by statutory presumptions and others whose proof is not, the magistrate must inquire of the defence whether a joint trial would prejudice or embarrass the accused; failure to make that inquiry and to exercise the proviso discretion invalidates the joint hearing, justifying quashing of convictions and remittance for retrial.

  • 3 May 1972

    R. v. MICHAEL LI CHUN TAT AND ANOTHER

    Citation
    R. v. MICHAEL LI CHUN TAT AND ANOTHER
    Court
    District Court
    Case number
    DCCC12/1972

    The judge exercised the statutory discretion under section 23 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance and ordered separate trials because the Crown failed to show a good reason for a joint trial; there was a real risk of prejudice arising from evidence relevant only to the conspiracy charge (including evidence concerning an uncharged alleged co-conspirator), and the general principle is that charges should not be joined for trial unless justification for joinder is demonstrated.