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Hong Kong politics
Hong KongLaw and Crime

Telling Hong Kong judge to retire early is sufficient penalty for plagiarism: experts

Wilson Chan’s reputation is damaged because of his plagiarism and he will lose tens of millions of dollars in pay and allowances, they say

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Justice Wilson Chan is leaving his position about six years earlier than the retirement age. Photo: Jasmine Siu
Judiciary data shows 27 judges serve in the High Court’s Court of First Instance and 13 in the Court of Appeal. Photo: Yik Yeung-man
Jess Ma
Telling a Hong Kong judge found to have plagiarised submissions in his judgments to retire early is a sufficient penalty, as he has already suffered reputational damage and is losing tens of millions of dollars in forgone salary, allowances and pension payouts, legal experts have said.

A spokesman for the judiciary confirmed on Tuesday that Justice Wilson Chan Ka-shun would be eligible for early retirement benefits calculated in accordance with his period of service. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said he respected the chief justice’s decision to take action against Chan.

The spokesman said: “According to the [pension benefits] ordinance, early-retired judges are eligible for pension benefits, which are calculated on the basis of their length of service.”

The spokesman added that Chan’s pension would be reduced proportionately as his length of service would be shorter than usual due to his early retirement.

Chan submitted his retirement application on Monday, after Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung announced that he had asked the judge to retire early after reprimanding him for repeated plagiarism in his judgments.

The chief justice said on Monday that Chan’s plagiarism had adversely affected the interests of the parties concerned, imposed an unnecessary burden on appellate judicial resources and undermined public confidence in his ability to discharge his duties.

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