Court rejects academic's bid for judicial review
The Court of First Instance yesterday rejected an application for a judicial review by City University academic Hans Mahncke of advice given to him by the nominations advisory committee of the Electoral Affairs Commission that he could not stand for election to Legco because he held a foreign passport. Mr Justice Johnson Lam Man-hon ruled that the opinion of the committee was non-binding advice that Mahncke was free to reject, and he could have sought nomination to stand for election. Lam also ruled that Mahncke, a German passport holder, had to lodge the challenge by way of an election petition after the election. Mahncke said he would appeal.
Carson Yeung seeks change in bail conditions
Tycoon Carson Yeung Ka-sing, who faces trial in November on five money-laundering counts involving HK$720 million, has applied to the High Court to have his bail terms varied. Yeung, owner of English soccer club Birmingham City, is on HK$4 million bail and a HK$3 million surety and must report to police and stay in the city. The application will be heard next week.
Pay rises fail to live up to forecasts
The average pay rise given between January and April by 67 companies surveyed by the Institute of Human Resource Management was 3.8 per cent, 0.1 percentage points higher than the figure recorded for the same period last year but below the 5 per cent forecast in November and 4.7 per cent forecast in February. The sectors with the biggest pay rises were construction (6.5 per cent), engineering (4.9) and shipping/terminals (4.8).