A drug trafficker yesterday became the first person to win a full hearing before the new Court of Final Appeal.
On August 14 the Court of Appeal concluded that Tang Siu-man's case involved 'a point of law of great and general importance'.
Chief Justice Andrew Li Kwok-nang, Mr Justice Henry Litton and Mr Justice Charles Ching in the Court of Final Appeal granted the trafficker's application yesterday to have his case reviewed.
The hearing will focus on the directions judges should give to juries concerning defendants deemed to be of good character.
Defence barrister John McLanachan will argue that judges who treat defendants as being of good character - in spite of any previous convictions - must direct the jury that they are more likely to be telling the truth and less likely to have committed the crime.
Tang, 30, was put on probation for a year when he was 20 for a minor assault. Trial judge Mr Justice Mohammed Saied ruled that the conviction was not relevant to the drugs charges - but did not give the jury a full 'good character' direction.
