Hong Kong judiciary conducts first live stream of court hearing as part of test run for plan to boost trust in legal system
- The broadcast of an appeal hearing of a challenge to the Legal Aid Department went smoothly, despite occasional pauses and low-definition images
- Chief Justice Andrew Cheung unveiled policy last year to boost confidence in local legal system
Hong Kong carried out its first-ever live stream of a court hearing on Wednesday as part of a plan to bolster public trust and transparency through broadcasts of some legal proceedings.
The live broadcast of a Court of Final Appeal case was generally clear and smooth, despite occasional pauses and low-definition images, according to the Post’s observation.
The case involved a lesbian woman, referred to as “MK”, who was challenging the Legal Aid Department over its decision to withhold assistance for her earlier lawsuit against the city’s ban on same-sex marriage.
Viewers of the 10am hearing had to agree to several terms before being allowed to watch the broadcast. This included a requirement that none of the broadcasted proceedings may be modified, recorded, reproduced, or published unless with the written permission of the judiciary.
The judiciary also reserved all rights in the broadcasted proceedings and recording, and any contravention might result in legal consequences including but not limited to contempt of court or breach of copyright, the terms said.
The live-streaming screen was divided into four frames, with the upper part showing the lawyers representing the appellant and the respondent, while the three smaller frames in the lower part showed the five judges.
Written submissions by lawyers on both sides were published on the top court’s website ahead of the live broadcast, which was also a first in the city.