Chinese judge falls asleep during trial after liquid lunch
Hearing adjourned, dismissal proceedings started after judge slips into unconsciousness and courtroom slides into chaos
A judge in central China who appeared in court so drunk that he fell asleep during a trial is facing the sack, according to local authorities.
In a video shared on social media last week, Wei Kaiyang, the deputy judge of a court in Dongan county, Hunan province, was seen dozing off in his chair as his courtroom plunged into chaos.
The person who uploaded the footage said it was shot in August, and that Wei, who was in his regular clothes rather than his official robes, fell asleep soon after the start of the trial, which was subsequently adjourned.
Dongan County People’s Court responded with a statement on Monday, issued via the Chinese microblogging service Weibo, saying that an investigation was under way.
A second statement issued the following day said that the process of sacking Wei had begun and that a further investigation had been started into other possible disciplinary offences.