A judge expressed concern yesterday that the size and complexity of Hong Kong's biggest court case, involving more than 5,000 migrants, may hinder its progress.
Mr Justice Frank Stock put forward a plan aimed at ensuring the landmark right of abode action, launched last July, proceeds properly.
The 5,472 claimants should eventually be placed into different categories so that when the court finally ruled on the case, it would be clear who was entitled to stay in Hong Kong, he said.
'Otherwise, there is chaos, I can see,' the judge said.
Lawyers are attempting to select about 12 migrants who can be used as test cases to represent the interests of all claimants.
The Court of First Instance heard there had not yet been an agreement between the Government and the migrants' lawyers on who should be chosen.
Categories are to be established according to the date when each migrant first arrived in Hong Kong and also the legal issues raised by their individual cases.