Remand times an ‘alarming blight’ on Hong Kong’s justice system
Former top prosecutor in the city calls on justice secretary to ‘root out the culture of delay’ in bringing cases to trial as custody periods rise
The increasing amount of time people accused of crimes in Hong Kong are kept behind bars before coming to trial has been called an “ alarming blight” on the city’s criminal justice system by one of special administrative region’s former top prosecutors.
The comments – by Grenville Cross SC, who was director of public prosecutions from 1997 to 2009 – came after details emerged of an Australian man who, by the time his trial on drug trafficking charges begins later this year,will have spent more than two years in custody at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.
The 39-year-old who has been locked up since his arrest on October 23, 2014 told the Sunday Morning Post: “Remand is not made for long-term. You’re in limbo and you don’t know whether you’re coming or going.”
In 2014, the Post revealed the average custody period for remand prisoners was 99.5 days in 2013, up from 80 days in 2010 and 60 days in 2008.
The Correctional Services Department, which provided the data, said they were no longer compiling statistics on remand times and fresh figures were not available.
However, an investigation by the Post discovered cases in which the accused have languished on remand for three years or more.