FORMER leading government lawyer Warwick Reid will appeal in person to Hong Kong's top judges for a chance to argue that he deserves a bigger reduction in his eight-year jail sentence for corruption than the one year granted by the Governor.
Next month, he will argue he should have been given three years' reduction for his Crown evidence which led to the conviction of three lawyers for corruption or helping him to flee the territory.
Reid testified in three trials for the Crown, but in July he learned the Governor had granted him a one-year reduction, instead of the three years' recommended by the Chief Justice, Sir Ti Liang Yang.
The challenge to the Governor's prerogative of mercy is unprecedented.In August, Reid, 46, failed to get his case off the ground when he was refused leave to judicially review the Governor's decision on the grounds of irrationality and his legitimate expectation of a three-year reduction.
Mr Justice Godfrey found Reid's lawyer Philip Dykes had failed to show there was arguable grounds for a judicial review.
On January 7, Reid will seek to overturn this refusal before the Court of Appeal comprising Mr Justice Silke, Mr Justice Penlington and a High Court judge.
