Statistics and Policy on Implementation of Courts (Remote Hearing) Ordinance
Dear Judiciary Administration,
Further to the enactment of the Courts (Remote Hearing) Ordinance (Cap. 654; hereafter "the Ordinance") on 28 March 2025, I would be grateful if you could provide general statistics and policy on its implementation on the following, pursuant to 1.13 of the Code on Access to Information. Wordings in this request are consistent with s.2 of the Ordinance.
Question 1
Noting the general principle that the Judiciary does not adopt remote hearings for criminal trials (as set out under Schedule 1), except those parts in which evidence is given by a witness (other than a vulnerable witness) as directed under a remote hearing order, please provide statistics concerning the making of remote hearing orders across all levels of courts in criminal proceedings in respect of s.6 and other relevant provisions in the Ordinance:
(a) Number of applications from parties to proceedings received, approved, and rejected by Courts, as disaggregated by quarters of calendar year and level of court;
(b) Within (a), number of applications received, approved, and rejected, as disaggregated by the type of criminal charge (Violent Crimes, Sexual Offences, Offences of Dishonesty and Property, Financial and Commericial Crimes, Road Traffic and Driving Offences, Statutory and Regulatory Offences, and/or other categories as appropriate);
(c) Within (a), number of applications rejected, as disaggregated by reasons for refusal (by any category as appropriate);
(d) Within (a), number of applications involving vulnerable witnesses;
(e) Number of orders made by the Courts on their own motion, as disaggregated by quarters of calendar year and level of court;
(f) Within (e), number of orders made, as disaggregated by the type of criminal charge (Violent Crimes, Sexual Offences, Offences of Dishonesty and Property, Financial and Commericial Crimes, Road Traffic and Driving Offences, Statutory and Regulatory Offences;
(c) Within (e), number of orders made involving vulnerable witnesses.
Question 2
The implementation of the Ordinance involves the Judges and Judicial Officers (JJOs), Judiciary Administration (JA), Department of Justice (DoJ), parties to proceedings, and legal representatives. Hence, please provide a copy of/information on:
(a) relevant Practice Directions issued;
(b) relevant policy, guidance and circulars issued for JJOs, DoJ Prosecutions Division, Legal Aid Department (LAD), Official Solicitor's Office (OSO), Duty Lawyer Service (DLS), and/or legal professional bodies (Law Society and Bar Association);
(c) relevant training arranged by JA for JJOs;
(d) relevant training arranged by DoJ for the Prosecutions Division;
(e) relevant training arranged by LAD, OSO, DLS and/or legal professional bodies for legal practitioners.
Thank you for attending this request crucial to public understanding of the administration of justice and procedural fairness under the Ordinance. You have my consent under paragraph 1.15 of the Code on Access to Information to transfer parts of this request to the Administration Wing, DoJ, LAD, and other government departments as appropriate for their responses.
Yours faithfully,
Preston Cheung
Ref: JUD CO 6-5/3/2/26-36
Dear Preston Cheung,
Thank you for your application for access to information on 10
June 2026. Your application is now under processing. According to
paragraph 1.16 of the Code on Access to Information, we will inform you of
the latest progress of the case separately on or before 30 June 2026. In
the meantime, please contact us at 2825 4593 if you have any enquiry.
Regards,
Ms Winnie Lee
for Judiciary Administration
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References
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Ref: JUD CO 6-5/3/2/26-36
Dear Preston Cheung,
Thank you for your application for access to information on 10
June 2026. Further to our interim reply of 18 June 2026, we would like to
inform you that we are still processing your request and will revert to
you in due course.
Regards,
Miss Liz Kwok
for Judiciary Administration
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may contain information that is privileged for the designated recipient.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
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of the message is strictly prohibited. If you have received the message
in error, please erase the message and all copies of the message from your
system and notify the Judiciary by email (Email Address:
[1][email address]).
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References
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Ref: JUD CO 6-5/3/2/26-36
Dear Mr Cheung,
Thank you for your email of 10 June 2026 to the Access to
Information Officer of the Judiciary Administration.
Question 1
2. The Judiciary does not maintain the requested statistics on
applications and orders made relating to remote hearings, or a breakdown
on the number of remote hearings conducted involving vulnerable witnesses.
We append below the total number of remote hearings conducted at
different levels of court in criminal proceedings since the enactment of
the Courts (Remote Hearing) Ordinance (Cap. 654) on 28 March 2025 for
reference -
Q1 2025 Q2 2026
Levels of Court (from 28 Q2 2025 Q3 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 (up to the end of
March) April)
Court of Final 0 0 0 0 1 0
Appeal
High Court 0 0 1 0 2 0
District Court 0 0 3 3 1 0
Magistrates' 0 2 3 6 1 0
Courts
Total 0 2 7 9 5 0
Question 2
3. It has been the Judiciary's policy to promote the use of remote
hearings in suitable court proceedings in accordance with the relevant
provisions in the Courts (Remote Hearing) Ordinance (Cap. 654). This has
been set out clearly in public documents including the Annual Report and
papers to the Legislative Council. Since 2020, the Judiciary has been
conducting remote hearings for civil proceedings. For this purpose, four
sets of guidance notes have been issued, which are available on the
Judiciary's website
[1]https://www.judiciary.hk/en/court_servic....
Taking into account operational experience, practice directions for
remote hearings are being prepared and will be issued in due course.
4. To support the smooth conduct of remote hearings, the Judiciary
has been organizing briefings and demonstrations on the use of the
relevant technology to Judges and Judicial Officers prior to their first
remote hearing, or on request.
5. The Judiciary does not maintain information about training
organised by other departments.
Regards,
Miss Liz Kwok
for Judiciary Administration
Disclaimer: This email message is for the designated recipient only. It
may contain information that is privileged for the designated recipient.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
use, retention, disclosure, copying, printing, forwarding or dissemination
of the message is strictly prohibited. If you have received the message
in error, please erase the message and all copies of the message from your
system and notify the Judiciary by email (Email Address:
[2][email address]).
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複本，並立即電郵通知司法機構 (電郵地址︰[3][email address])
References
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2. mailto:[email address])
3. mailto:[email address])