今天看上訴判詞, 很奇怪, 上個月25日才被委為終審法院常設法官的張舉能, 在馬道立外訪期間竟然署任終院首席法官(Acting CJ), 論資排輩, 他排在Ribeiro及Paul Fok之後, 在今天上載的兩宗申請上訴許可的判詞, 3位同席, 張官卻排了頭位。有看上訴判詞的人都會知道, 在判詞裏法官的名字排位是論資排輩的。為甚麼不是另外兩位法官署任, 尤其是資歷最高的Ribeiro? 我問一位司法界的朋友, 也得不到答案, 朋友說自己品秩太低, 不懂大內思維。
兩個月前, 我在Unless you are yellow一文講過馬道立入市買4000千多萬豪宅, 似乎無意在屆滿退休時續任(還有兩年兩個月), 馬夫人剛續了兩年任期, 到時兩位法官一起退休嘆世界。我一直揣測霍官順理成章, 會被委為首席, 現在末席變首席, 使我有點意外。以張官近年的判決來看, 他是保守派, 合政府心水, 更上一層樓也不難。
高院首席法官這職位因張官晉升, 暫時由副庭長楊振權署任, 雖然他最近也續了兩年任期, 卻不會是真命天子, 我對另一副庭長林文瀚看高一線。楊官已屬行人止步, 任期完了也不會被委為終院非常設法官的。
上訴庭騰出空位, 又會由誰頂上呢? 任憑班太出盡洪荒之力, 她不是嫡系出身, 我覺得區官(區慶祥)機會較大, 而且上訴庭走了個民事的法官, 找個搞民事的人頂上乃理所當然。至於由誰升上高院原訟庭就太難估了, 一來人選太多, 再者空缺也多, 所以無謂揣測。
有言在先, 標少一介草民, 胡謅之言, 不能認真視之, 揭盅之時就別拆我招牌了。
快d去CFA地底埋個石人
回覆刪除安兄, 甚麼法術?
刪除張官長年被平權人士攻擊，佢做CJ又會很多人覺得法治已死。所以想度下有什么山人妙計...唔係啦，下次係法院餐廳塞布條入魚肚吧。
刪除去鵝頸橋喇
刪除終審法院首席法官同常任法官唔同嘅係「首席法官須由在外國無居留權的香港特區永久性居民中的中國公民擔任」（香港終審法院條例第6(1A)條）
回覆刪除署理首席法官嘅任命由香港終審法院條例第5(6)條同第5(7)條所規定：
(6) 除第(7)款另有規定外，凡首席法官患病或因任何因由缺勤，行政長官須委任一名有資格獲委任為首席法官且在首席法官之下資歷最高的常任法官擔任署理首席法官，並在署理期間擁有首席法官的所有權力及職能；有關法官的資歷高低，須按照第11條訂明的排名方法決定，排名最前者視為資歷最高。
(7) 如首席法官因患病或因任何因由缺勤而無常任法官有獲委任為首席法官的資格，則即使在首席法官之下資歷最高的常任法官沒有獲委任為首席法官的資格，行政長官亦須委任該法官擔任署理首席法官，並在署理期間擁有首席法官的所有權力及職能；有關法官的資歷高低，須以第(6)款所指明的方式決定。
由此得出李義法官同霍兆剛法官並唔係外國無居留權的香港特區永久性居民中的中國公民。
That's one possible reason but Ribeiro PJ had been acting CJ before, see for example Judiciary's Annual Report in 2015： https://www.judiciary.hk/en/publications/annu_rept_2015/eng/highlights.html
刪除I have considered the nationality issue but I think Ribeiro PJ's most recent acting was in October this year. I remember seeing his photo at the Golden Bauhinia flag raising ceremony.
刪除I have checked the gazette, and the appointment of Ribeiro PJ and Cheung PJ as acting CJ is according to different provisions of the CFA ordinance.
刪除The appointment of Ribeiro PJ as Acting CJ in Sept 2018 is in accordance to Section 5(7):
第7128號公告
香港終審法院條例（第484章）
署理終審法院首席法官的委任
現公布行政長官林鄭月娥女士，大紫荊勳賢，G.B.S業已行使《中華人民共和國香港特別行政 區基本法》第四十八（六）條及《香港終審法院條例》第5(7)條所賦予的權力，委任終審法院常 任法官李義法官在馬道立法官離港休假及公幹期間為署理終審法院首席法官，由2018年9月 22日起生效，直至馬道立法官回任為止。
However, the appointment of Cheung PJ as Acting CJ in Nov 2018 is in accordance to Section 5(6), not 5(7) of the CFA ordinance:
第8425號公告
香港終審法院條例（第484章）
署理終審法院首席法官的委任
現公布署理行政長官業己行使《中華人民共和國香港特別行政區基本法》第四十八（六）條及 《香港終審法院條例》第5(6）條所賦予的權力，委任終審法院常任法官張舉能法官在馬道立法官 離港公幹及休假期聞為署理終審法院首席法官，由2018年11月3日起生效，直至馬道立法官 回任為止。
Section 5(7) stipulates the situation where no PJ is eligible for appointment as CJ “如首席法官因患病或因任何因由缺勤而無常任法官有獲委任為首席法官的資格，則即使在首席法官之下資歷最高的常任法官沒有獲委任為首席法官的資格，行政長官亦須委任該法官擔任署理首席法官，並在署理期間擁有首席法官的所有權力及職能；有關法官的資歷高低，須以第(6)款所指明的方式決定。”
So it seems that the previous appointments of Ribeiro PJ as Acting CJ was made because at that time all PJJ (Ribeiro, Tang, Fok) did not fulfill the nationality requirements.
PLK
Thank you for the hard work.
刪除咁即係話，因只有張官合乎資格，佢做硬 CJ？
刪除兩個變數:一, 大馬爺會否延長任期a) 他年屆65時法官年齡延長的法例生效未, b)若未生效他會否續任兩年; 二, 在大馬爺任內有沒有新的常設法官任命。
刪除I guess it also depends on what aspect of nationality requirements Fok PJ lacks. The requirement is "無外國居留權的香港特區永久性居民中的中國公民".
刪除According to CFA website he was born in Hong Kong, so I guess he would quality for the "Chinese citizen" bit. If the problem is that he has 外國居留權 or 雙重國籍, he may renounce it if he is given the appointment.
PLK
A renounced foreign nationality is not reversible. I don't know if Fok PJ is willing to do the renunciation. Like Woo Kwok-hing, he renounced his British nationality to run the CE election and in the end he lost his bet.
刪除I have once read a 2010 LegCo paper concerning the appointment of Ma Tao-li as CJ.
刪除https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr09-10/chinese/hc/papers/hc0416-let100408-da-c.pdf
The paper contains some paragraphs on the deliberation procedures of the Judicial Officer Recommendation Commission (JORC) for the appointment of CJ (see overall page 20-24 of pdf; i.e. page 5-9 of the Appendix C). It says that the JORC would produce a long list of all eligible candidates (without considering the nationality requirements), which had 735 names. From the long list, the JORC select a short list of 8 candidates. Then the CJ went to talk to those 8 people, and ask them whether they would like to be considered for the CJ post, and whether they were eligible, or willing to make themselves eligible regarding the nationality requirement (see para 35 on page 23 of the pdf; i.e. page 7 of Appendix C).
So it seems that the potential candidate need not renounce foreign nationality BEFORE being eligible for consideration. They probably can renounce it after the JORC make their decision (or after getting hint from JORC that he would be recommended).
PLK
Thanks again for feeding me the background information.
刪除When I said irreversible of the renunciation, I probably used the wrong example when I mentioned Woo, ex-VP. I meant to say once the CJ finishes his term, it will be very difficult to re-apply and re-instate his foreign national status. It may be a factor making some people hesitate.
https://news.mingpao.com/pns/dailynews/web_tc/article/20181113/s00002/1542047251931
回覆刪除一場鬧劇落幕...
看到喇, 真的衱姦也因受害人不可信而脫罪。現在是控方要輸多少訟費的問題了。
刪除CJ 應是 spotless，但 Frog 係 spotty，牽涉強國敏感 briberry issues，連阿公報都報導，阿爺可能已經 set 咗個 glass ceiling。
回覆刪除http://news.takungpao.com/paper/q/2015/0210/2917148_wap.html
下屆CJHC人選除林副庭長外亦盛傳會是潘JA
回覆刪除Pang JA too.
刪除區官成日遲交功課，唔會俾人蓋左黑豬咩？
回覆刪除佢啲功課難做
刪除https://www.am730.com.hk/news/新聞/內地涉佔用沙頭角地-林鄭：港深對邊界理解不同-149962
回覆刪除內地佔用沙頭角邊境禁區內一幅土地事件，原因是雙方目前對邊界界線有不同理解。
特區----政府參考《國務院令》第221號，認為特區區域界線是以沙頭角河中心線為主軸，經翻看航拍及近日實地視察，沙頭角河的位置並無改變，故認為涉事土地應屬香港境內範圍。
深圳----表示內地曾於2013年因沙頭角河的河道狹窄，基於防洪考慮，為沙頭角河進行改道工程，並認為特區的區域界線應以新河道為基準。
是特區界線問題, 本來是很高層次的定義, 事實性的測量, 點解咁都得???
1. 表面上是 : 深圳咩原因都好, 一國兩制下, 自把自為, 不通報、不申請、不商討;
2. 林鄭表示經翻看航拍及近日實地視察，沙頭角河的位置並無改變，故認為涉事土地應屬香港境內範圍.... 條河有改定無改?
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201811/04/P2018110400318.htm
回覆刪除行政長官林鄭月娥今日（十一月四日）上午出席2018年香港童軍大會操致辭全文：
潘兆初會長（香港童軍總會會長）
前兩位會長分別為馬道立法官（2009-2018）、陳兆愷法官（c.2000-2009）
https://www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20091333/cgn200913335017.pdf
https://www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20010531/cgn200105314677.pdf
未知可有關係？
層次不同, 應無關係。
刪除標少，「楊官已屬行人止步, 任期完了也不會被委為終院非常設法官的。」呢個推論係點得出㗎？
回覆刪除仲有想問Cheung PJ個底會唔會唔夠坐正終院CJ？佢一早入咗司法界，唔係SC同QC，同Fok PJ比好似差咁啲。張官黑髮黃皮膚可能係最大優勢。
沒有內幕, 純個人觀感。
刪除Is there a career judiciary?
回覆刪除After the handover, it appears from the records that certain posts in the Judiciary are meant for promotion. Below is the record for such posts, which do not include the incumbents.
Constitutional and Administrative Law List Judge (all elevated to the Court of Appeal)
1 M Hartmann
2. A Cheung
3. J Lam
Companies Judge (all elevated to the Court of Appeal)
1. A Rogers
2. D Le Pichon
3. M Yuen
4. S Kwan
Chief Magistrate (except 2 exceptions, all elevated to the High Court)
1. A To
2. A Tong
3. P Li
4. Tong Man*
5. C Lee
* Was very sick during his office.
Chief District Judge (all elevated to the High Court)
1. C-M Beeson
2. B Fung
3. P Li
Chief Judge of the High Court (with 1 exception, all to the Court of Final Appeal)
1. P Chan
2. A Leong*
3. G Ma
4. A Cheung
Note: if there is any error in this list, readers are welcome to point out.
Interestingly, until earlier this year, all Admiralty Judge after the handover were from the Temple Chambers:
1. W Waung
2. A Reyes
3. A Barma
4. P Ng
Besides Au J, G Lam J is another potential candidate for elevated to the Court of Appeal.
Appointing either one would not be a surprise for the practitioners.
Agree that Lam VP should be the next CJHC.
Thank you so much. I never see it from these perspectives. It is enlightening.
刪除As expected, the Constitutional and Administrative Law List Judge and the Chief District Judge will be elevated:
刪除https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201901/11/P2019011100284.htm
Guess Chow J will be the next Constitutional and Administrative Law List Judge. Further the Judiciary will create an IP list later this year and the first list judge is a Chinese male CFI judge.
For the National Day ceremony this year, it was Ribeiro PJ who acted as the CJ in attending the National Day Ceremony on 1 Oct 2018.
回覆刪除司法機構今日（一月十一日）宣布委任五位高等法院及區域法院法官。
回覆刪除高等法院原訟法庭法官區慶祥獲委任為高等法院上訴法庭法官。
首席區域法院法官潘兆童、區域法院法官吳美玲和李運騰獲委任為高等法院原訟法庭法官。
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201901/11/P2019011100284.htm