A senior law officer was fined $1,000 yesterday in Eastern Court for careless driving after the case was delayed due to his legal friendships.
When he first appeared in court in January, the case had to be adjourned when it proved impossible to find a magistrate who did not know, or was not a friend of, Deputy Solicitor-General Stephen Wong Kai-yi.
Mr Wong is second to Solicitor-General Robert Allcock, who heads the legal policy division of the Department of Justice.
When he appeared in court on January 22, Magistrate Anthony Yuen Wai-ming told the prosecution that he had known Mr Wong for many years and it was therefore inappropriate for him to preside over the case.
On the same day, magistrate Timothy Casewell also declined to handle the case for the same reason.
When Mr Wong appeared in court again two weeks later, he told Magistrate Johnny Chan Jong-herng, who did not know him, not to arrange his case to be heard by his friend Magistrate Allan Wyeth.
