27 Mar 1981
THE QUEEN v. CHU MIU-TAK AND ANOTHER
- Citation
- THE QUEEN v. CHU MIU-TAK AND ANOTHER
- Court
- District Court
- Case number
- DCCC258/1980
Hong Kong courts share the common law discretion to continue a criminal trial in the absence of a defendant who has voluntarily and deliberately absconded while on bail; where the prosecution evidence is complete and the defendant had elected not to give evidence, the court may, in the interests of justice and public interest, order the trial to continue. In this case the 1st defendant voluntarily absconded after the close of the prosecution case and the trial was correctly continued in his absence, subject to the defendant's right to later challenge on grounds of involuntary absence.