Hearings are scheduled to start tomorrow on deciding fixed terms for 23 murderers serving indefinite sentences, including an inmate jailed for the 1985 murder of two expatriate teenagers in Braemar Hill.
The news came days after it emerged that Won Sam-lung - the youngest of the five men convicted of murdering Island School students Kenneth McBride, 17, and Nicola Myers, 18, in April 1985 - will be released next Tuesday. He was jailed at 16 and is now 35.
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa gave Won a definite sentence of 27 years in July. A prisoner who serves two-thirds of his sentence is eligible for release.
A Department of Justice spokesman said 13 prisoners' applications for definite sentences were due to be heard at the Court of First Instance tomorrow while 10 cases will be heard on Monday.
Among the 23 prisoners, 13 were younger than 18 when they committed murder.
They were first detained at Her Majesty's pleasure and then at the chief executive's discretion.