My Take | One measure of a just society is the way it treats those who transgress the most
The case of one of the ‘hired thugs’ who killed a newspaper seller highlights the delicate balancing act requiring fair reviews for those jailed for life
The brutal killing of a newspaper seller, stabbed to death at her stand by “hired thugs” in 1999, was an outrage of the kind that has occasionally rocked and shocked Hong Kong.
Four men who carried out the horrific attack, described by authorities as a “classic triad murder”, were later jailed, three of them for life. The punishment fits the crime. They deserve no sympathy. But a fair and humane justice system must allow for the possibility that those responsible for even the most terrible crimes will be released at the right time and in appropriate circumstances.
Hong Kong’s approach to those serving mandatory life sentences, imposed for murder, rightly reflects the principles of punishment, deterrence and preventing risks to the public. But it also recognises the benefits of rehabilitation and the integration of long-term prisoners into society.
A court judgment last week, concerning one of the killers of 40-year-old newspaper vendor Ho Wai-ha, shone a spotlight on the system and the way it is implemented, raising some concerns.
Lo Hon-hing was jailed for life for murder. He was involved in preparations for the attack and acted as a lookout when his knife-wielding accomplices committed the killing. Justice required that Lo be jailed for life.
But a life sentence does not necessarily last until the prisoner dies. The constitutional basis for the mandatory penalty is that it be subject to regular review and the possibility of release.