28 May 2014
HKSAR v. SHUM WAN FOON
- Citation
- HKSAR v. SHUM WAN FOON
- Court
- Court of Final Appeal
- Case number
- FACC7/2013
A magistrate must inquire sufficiently into any application to reverse a guilty plea before sentencing; failure to do so is a departure from established legal norm and requires allowing the appeal and quashing the convictions. Ordinarily the matter should be remitted to the magistrate to inquire into the plea reversal, but an appellate court may exceptionally quash convictions without remitting where special circumstances (substantial delay, prejudice to fair trial, sentence already served, public interest) justify that course.