Hong Kong woman cleared in jaywalking trial that finally ends after nearly two years
- Saga over road-crossing allegation leads to judicial reviews, arrest warrant for defendant’s previous lawyer and civil claim
- High Court judge said proceedings, which ended with pedestrian’s acquittal on Monday, should have been wrapped up ‘within hours’
A woman charged with jaywalking has been acquitted at the end of a 21-month-long trial which was slammed by a city judge for bringing Hong Kong’s courts into disrepute.
Kamala Thapa denied one count of negligently endangering her own safety, after she was hit by a taxi while crossing Tai Tam Road outside the American Club in Stanley on April 25, 2016.
Her trial at Eastern Court over a traffic summons, which would have cost her a fine of no more than HK$500 (US$64) if convicted, had sparked three judicial reviews, one civil claim and what appeared to be the city’s first arrest warrant issued to a lawyer by a court.
During the 90-day trial starting on January 10 last year, presiding deputy special magistrate Ho Lai-ming ordered the arrest of Thapa’s lawyer Kelvin Leung Yiu-cheung after deeming some of his comments against her offensive, which he denied. The Post was told the order for arrest had not been executed to date.
After Thapa changed legal representatives in March, Ho had heated debates with defence lawyer How Chun-fai over issues including whether the defendant should be fined HK$100 for turning up in court one minute late, and whether Ho was entitled to schedule trial dates inconsistent with counsel’s diaries – both of which had triggered judicial challenges at the High Court.
On Monday – the 91st day of the proceedings – Ho acquitted the woman, a Nepali national, after ruling the taxi driver concerned failed to produce a truthful account of how the accident took place.