A High Court judge who bungled an Insider Dealing Tribunal hearing was yesterday blasted by a colleague for conducting 'justice behind closed doors'.
Mr Justice David Yam Yee-kwan ignored the 'fundamental cornerstone' of open justice in his handling of the hearing, the Court of First Instance ruled.
He also breached inquiry rules by letting tribunal counsel 'ghostwrite' his report.
Mr Justice Yam took nine months to deliver the report to the Financial Secretary, having earlier ordered a draft report to be destroyed. The 1996 hearing, which heard the bulk of evidence over six months, is estimated to have cost taxpayers $40 million.
Mr Justice Yam's unorthodox actions were strongly criticised by Mr Justice Raymond Sears, who yesterday completed a judicial review of the hearing into the activities of Paragon and CNPC (Hong Kong).
Mr Justice Sears quashed the findings of the tribunal, which Mr Justice Yam chaired, and banned the report from being made public.
'What action the Financial Secretary wishes to take is for him to say,' he said.