https://www.scmp.com/rss/324473/feed In 2016 the Legislative Council set up a committee to investigate Leung Chun-ying’s receipt of HK$50 million from Australian engineering firm UGL. That payment came after UGL's 2011 purchase of DTZ, an insolvent property company of which Leung was a director before becoming Hong Kong chief executive in 2012. Leung took the cash after his election, but did not declare it to his cabinet. He insisted there was no conflict of interest and it was a normal "resignation arrangement", but pan-democrats... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A Legislative Council investigation has decided against censuring a pro-establishment lawmaker who allowed ex-Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying to secretly interfere in an investigation into the past business dealings of the former top official. The inquiry was triggered by the alleged misconduct of Holden Chow Ho-ding three years ago, who helped Leung amend a document relating to the scope of an investigation into a possible conflict of interest over the then-leader’s failure to declare the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3092393/hong-kong-lawmaker-escapes-censure-letting-former-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3092393/hong-kong-lawmaker-escapes-censure-letting-former-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jul 2020 13:20:00 +0000 The High Court has thrown out two applications to review the justice department’s decision not to prosecute former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying. Mr Justice Anderson Chow Ka-ming refused to grant leave to activist Tsang Kin-shing and former civil servant Kwok Cheuk-kin, to apply for a judicial review challenging the Department of Justice’s decision on December 12, 2018. Leung had been accused of a conflict of interest in relation to his non-disclosure of a HK$50 million (US$6.4 million)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3025985/hong-kong-court-throws-out-application-judicial-review?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3025985/hong-kong-court-throws-out-application-judicial-review?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Sep 2019 04:07:01 +0000 Fears of a trial by media have complicated a judicial review application process for those seeking to re-examine the Hong Kong government’s decision not to prosecute a former city leader, a barrister speaking for the justice secretary said on Wednesday. Mr Justice Anderson Chow Ka-ming on March 13 directed one of the applicants, Tsang Kin-shing, to present his leave and substantive arguments in one go in a bid to expedite the application process. This was a departure from the usual two-step... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3004554/secretary-justice-warns-trial-media-if-applications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3004554/secretary-justice-warns-trial-media-if-applications?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2019 13:28:14 +0000 A Hong Kong activist is seeking to launch a legal challenge against the justice department’s decision not to prosecute the city’s former leader Leung Chun-ying. Tsang Kin-shing applied for the judicial review, which targets the secretary for justice, at the High Court on Tuesday. Pan-democratic lawmakers who accompanied him said they were contemplating a private prosecution. Tsang’s move came three months after the Department of Justice announced it would not prosecute Leung, who had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3001386/activist-applies-judicial-review-hong-kong-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3001386/activist-applies-judicial-review-hong-kong-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:50:07 +0000 Alvin Lum Alvin Lum Following the evidence is the sole consideration in any case and the social status of a suspect does not play a part in deciding if charges should be brought, the departing investigation chief of Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has said. Ricky Chu Man-kin, the retiring Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (ICAC) director of investigation (private sector), also said any decision by prosecutors to seek external legal advice did not change an investigation. Officials have previously... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2189422/outgoing-icac-investigation-chiefs-message-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2189422/outgoing-icac-investigation-chiefs-message-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Mar 2019 01:13:47 +0000 More than six weeks after a decision not to prosecute former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying, the public remains mostly in the dark about the move and the process by which it was made. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah has stuck firmly to her position that no further comment can be made on the case. Questions have been left unanswered and public confidence in her department put at risk. Cheng’s own popularity ratings have fallen to a record low. Lessons must be learned. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2184827/teresa-cheng-must-clear-air-over-leung-chun-ying-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2184827/teresa-cheng-must-clear-air-over-leung-chun-ying-case?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Feb 2019 14:45:45 +0000 Lawmakers voted down a third motion of no confidence against Hong Kong’s justice minister Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah on Monday although the embattled official again refused to discuss why a misconduct case against former leader Leung Chun-ying was dropped. The no-confidence motion, tabled by legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok, was defeated by 11 votes to seven at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s administration of justice and legal services panel. However, a motion tabled by pro-establishment... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2184002/hong-kong-lawmakers-vote-down-no-confidence-motion-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2184002/hong-kong-lawmakers-vote-down-no-confidence-motion-against?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jan 2019 15:00:30 +0000 A pro-democracy lawmaker’s bid to rally support for summoning Hong Kong’s justice minister to the legislature was easily defeated on Thursday. Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok had asked for Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah to present the Legislative Council with all relevant documents and testify about her handling of the case involving former chief executive Leung Chun-ying. An investigation was launched in 2014 into misconduct allegations against Leung, regarding a HK$50 million... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2183445/lawmaker-loses-bid-summon-hong-kong-justice-minister-discuss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2183445/lawmaker-loses-bid-summon-hong-kong-justice-minister-discuss?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jan 2019 04:50:29 +0000 Sum Lok-kei Sum Lok-kei Pro-establishment camp lawmakers are set to vote down a motion to get Hong Kong’s embattled justice minister to explain her handling of misconduct allegations against former leader Leung Chun-ying. The non-binding motion tabled on Wednesday would summon Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah to a Legislative Council meeting under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution. “If you tell the Hong Kong people that there was no need to consult external counsel before... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2183378/pan-democrat-motion-summon-justice-minister-teresa-cheng?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2183378/pan-democrat-motion-summon-justice-minister-teresa-cheng?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jan 2019 14:00:45 +0000 Monday, January 28, is set to be a fun day at the legislature, as opposition lawmakers prepare a roasting for Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah. Angry at her department’s refusal to prosecute former chief executive Leung Chun-ying over a HK$50 million payment by Australian engineering firm UGL, they are ready to unload their venom on the secretary for justice. She was on holiday while her department bungled its official announcement not to proceed with prosecution. Then she made a belated appearance late... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2183366/teresa-chengs-chance-convince-her-critics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2183366/teresa-chengs-chance-convince-her-critics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jan 2019 11:59:23 +0000 The city’s professional body for barristers has called on the justice minister to establish protocol and delegate prosecution decisions to the top prosecutor, after her department controversially dropped a case against former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying. The remarks by the Bar Association come six days before Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah attends a Legislative Council meeting at which she is expected to be grilled by lawmakers on her decision not to seek external legal advice... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2183196/lawyers-group-calls-hong-kong-justice-minister-delegate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2183196/lawyers-group-calls-hong-kong-justice-minister-delegate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jan 2019 23:03:55 +0000 Prosecutors looking into corruption claims against former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying did not need to get outside legal advice because there was no possible perception of bias or conflicting interests, the city’s justice minister said on Wednesday. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah’s comments came after her department said last month there was not enough evidence to charge Leung, who received undeclared payments from an Australian firm before and after he became chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2182369/no-perceived-bias-leung-chun-ying-ugl-probe-so-no-outside?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2182369/no-perceived-bias-leung-chun-ying-ugl-probe-so-no-outside?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jan 2019 09:16:24 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor may have been “shocked” by lawmakers’ criticism from across the political spectrum over the move to increase the age limit for elderly welfare payments from 60 to 65, since the plan was approved last May as part of the Appropriation Bill. But the pro-establishment lawmakers may have been more shocked; they were the chief executive’s allies, with 39 out of the 43 votes in support of the bill coming from their camp, and she basically sold them out. But... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2181649/carrie-lams-talk-hot-kitchens-defence-teresa-cheng?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2181649/carrie-lams-talk-hot-kitchens-defence-teresa-cheng?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jan 2019 08:03:01 +0000 Hong Kong’s legislature decided on Thursday to wrap up its inquiry into the misconduct allegations against former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, after admitting it had not been able to get any first-hand information over the past 25 months. The decision came after the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced in December that its four-year investigation into Leung had ended with the Justice Department concluding that there was not enough evidence to press charges against the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2181591/legco-closes-down-inquiry-misconduct-allegations-against-cy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2181591/legco-closes-down-inquiry-misconduct-allegations-against-cy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jan 2019 23:30:56 +0000 I refer to the letter from Mark Peaker (“With Teresa Cheng, has Carrie Lam’s pledge to connect with Hong Kong come undone?”, December 31) who says Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah’s decision to close the file on former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying undermines faith in the judiciary and that the behaviour of Cheng as secretary for justice beggars belief. To begin with, the chief executive must know or ought to have known how wrong it was to have appointed Cheng as justice secretary while... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2181222/why-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-must-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2181222/why-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-must-go?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jan 2019 09:01:43 +0000 Letters Letters In his op-ed article (“Why Cheng should explain decision in CY Leung case”, January 2), Greenville Cross urges Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah to explain in detail the basis of her department’s decision not to prosecute former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying. Mr Cross is a distinguished criminal justice analyst and fully aware of the facts of the UGL case which, as confirmed by the Independent Commission Against Corruption after a four-year investigation, reveal no grounds... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2180979/pressure-hong-kong-justice-chief-explain-cy-leung-decision-baffling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2180979/pressure-hong-kong-justice-chief-explain-cy-leung-decision-baffling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jan 2019 09:05:54 +0000 Letters Letters I refer to the article by Grenville Cross, “Why Cheng should explain decision in C.Y. Leung case” (January 2). When it comes to one of Beijing’s proteges like former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying, whom the pan-democrats of this town are always after, I’m not sure they will take no (that is: not guilty) for an answer. Leung’s agreement with UGL was a golden handshake, for the princely sum of about HK$50 million, made months before his election to the Chief Executive’s Office, with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2180745/hong-kong-justice-department-could-have-worded-cy-decision-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2180745/hong-kong-justice-department-could-have-worded-cy-decision-better?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jan 2019 00:25:20 +0000 Hong Kong’s embattled justice minister, Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, has agreed to appear before lawmakers demanding a full explanation as to why she decided not to prosecute former chief executive Leung Chun-ying following a four-year investigation by graft-busters into his business dealings. Cheng will attend a Legislative Council meeting on January 28 to explain the prosecution policy of the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, chairwoman of the legislature’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2180703/under-fire-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-agrees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2180703/under-fire-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-agrees?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jan 2019 08:00:15 +0000 The Department of Justice (DOJ) chose not to prosecute former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying who received part of a HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) payment from Australian firm UGL while in office, but the move lit a fire under critics. With the department not explaining the legal principle behind its decision, questions were raised over why external advice was not sought. Under pressure, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah defended the handling of the matter, saying it was an “informed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2180424/why-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-chengs-handling-cy-leung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2180424/why-hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-chengs-handling-cy-leung?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jan 2019 00:03:58 +0000 Tony Kwok Tony Kwok The usual tactic employed by opposition parties in Hong Kong to mislead the public is to argue a case on procedural matters when they know that they are unable to argue about the facts. The case involving Australian company UGL’s HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) payment to former chief executive Leung Chun-ying is a typical example. Based on the facts now publicly known, it is clear there is no evidence to prosecute Leung under Hong Kong’s corruption laws. Opposition parties queried why it took... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2180279/facts-matter-case-cy-leungs-ugl-payment-critics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2180279/facts-matter-case-cy-leungs-ugl-payment-critics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jan 2019 07:03:47 +0000 Grenville Cross Grenville Cross In February, when the Legislative Council’s panel on the administration of justice and legal services convened, the Department of Justice provided it with a policy statement titled “Briefing out cases of the Department of Justice”. Under the subheading “briefing out policy”, the department described the six situations in which criminal cases are contracted out to private lawyers for advisory or trial purposes.  The first situation involves cases where there is a need for expert advice which is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2180230/teresa-cheng-should-have-sought-independent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2180230/teresa-cheng-should-have-sought-independent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jan 2019 21:00:15 +0000 The behaviour of Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah beggars belief (“Justice chief isn’t just wrong about CY Leung case, she’s arrogant and clueless”, December 31)! As does the endorsement by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor of her condescending disregard for legitimate questions, reflecting a surprisingly woeful inability to respect the sentiment of the Hong Kong people (“Carrie Lam backs justice minister’s decision in CY Leung case”, December 28). The justice secretary is a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2180111/teresa-cheng-has-carrie-lams-pledge-connect-hong-kong-come-undone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2180111/teresa-cheng-has-carrie-lams-pledge-connect-hong-kong-come-undone?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Dec 2018 10:33:50 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu We stand on the cusp of a new year, but it doesn’t look like Hong Kong is ready to let bygones be bygones, thanks to the city’s Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah. It is unfathomable why a top official should be away on a break and remain eerily silent on the legal principles behind her department’s decision to drop the highly publicised corruption investigation into former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, without following the previous practice of seeking an independent legal opinion. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2179823/justice-chief-teresa-cheng-doesnt-think-she-owes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2179823/justice-chief-teresa-cheng-doesnt-think-she-owes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Dec 2018 23:00:00 +0000 It is not an easy task to score a government’s overall performance over the course of an entire year. The range of activities is wide. Moreover, in addition to the targets an administration sets for itself, events often arise which are not within its control, so governments are prone to being blown off course. With that caveat, how should we rate the Hong Kong government’s 2018 performance? We can approach the exercise from three different perspectives – policy, personalities, and overall manner... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2179856/one-own-goal-bad-year-teresa-cheng-and-misses-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2179856/one-own-goal-bad-year-teresa-cheng-and-misses-all?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Dec 2018 03:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice chief should explain her level of involvement in the decision not to prosecute the city’s former leader Leung Chun-ying over a corruption complaint, a pro-government legislator urged on Saturday. The appeal by Paul Tse Wai-chun came the same day as the convenor of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s cabinet also said the government still had explaining to do. A day earlier, Lam revealed Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah was part of the decision – an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179958/justice-chief-teresa-cheng-should-explain-how-involved-she?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179958/justice-chief-teresa-cheng-should-explain-how-involved-she?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Dec 2018 06:31:12 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader on Friday backed her justice minister’s decision to not seek external legal advice in the case concerning former leader Leung Chun-ying, saying the two figures had no ties with each other. While Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor stopped short of saying it was the correct decision, she said justice minister Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah had made a profession call in not seeking external legal advice. An investigation into misconduct allegations against Leung was launched in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179897/critics-justice-department-should-not-dwell-decision-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179897/critics-justice-department-should-not-dwell-decision-not?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Dec 2018 11:00:24 +0000 Alvin Lum Alvin Lum Justice Minister Teresa Cheng Yuek-wah came under mounting pressure on Thursday as Hong Kong’s two major legal bodies called on her to fully explain the government’s decision to drop investigations against former city leader Leung Chun-ying over a HK$50 million (US$6 million) payment. The Bar Association and the Law Society, representing the city’s barristers and solicitors respectively, separately urged Cheng to clarify if the Department of Justice (DOJ) had changed its policy in seeking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179727/hong-kongs-top-legal-bodies-call-justice-minister-teresa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179727/hong-kongs-top-legal-bodies-call-justice-minister-teresa?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Dec 2018 14:49:31 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice minister returned home from leave on Boxing Day only to set off a new chorus of criticism by flatly rejecting widespread calls to further explain why her department dropped an investigation into the business dealings of former city leader Leung Chun-ying. Breaking a two-week silence on the controversy, Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah sparked more doubts about her justification for not seeking advice from legal experts outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) – her claim that this was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179519/hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-rejects-calls-further?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179519/hong-kong-justice-chief-teresa-cheng-rejects-calls-further?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Dec 2018 06:15:30 +0000 Hundreds of demonstrators staged a rally in Hong Kong despite the miserable weather to protest against a decision by the city’s justice minister to clear former leader Leung Chun-ying of any wrongdoing over a HK$50 million (US$6.3 million) payment he received from an Australian firm. The pan-democratic camp, which organised the event at Chater Garden in Central, claimed some 1,200 people attended, but police said only 525 people took part. Organisers said the move by Secretary for Justice Teresa... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179280/protesters-march-rain-against-move-drop-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2179280/protesters-march-rain-against-move-drop-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Dec 2018 09:29:35 +0000 It is common for the secretary for justice to give detailed explanations of decisions not to prosecute or pursue further investigations in high-profile cases of public interest. But the one-page announcement of the decision not to prosecute former chief executive Leung Chun-ying was noteworthy for what it did not say. Secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah did not explain the legal principles behind the decision to drop a marathon corruption investigation, or follow the precedent of offering an... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2179235/teresa-cheng-yeuk-wah-must-clear-air-leung-chun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2179235/teresa-cheng-yeuk-wah-must-clear-air-leung-chun?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Dec 2018 13:42:42 +0000 The credibility and impartiality of the Department of Justice is on the line but Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah is nowhere to be seen. The secretary for justice is on holiday until the end of this month. Well, work-life balance, you know, it’s important. After a four-year investigation, her department and the Independent Commission Against Corruption have decided not to prosecute former chief executive Leung Chun-ying for conflict of interest over a HK$50 million payment. This is surely one of the most... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2179167/missing-teresa-cheng-must-be-seen-serve-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2179167/missing-teresa-cheng-must-be-seen-serve-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Dec 2018 12:50:44 +0000 Alvin Lum Alvin Lum Hong Kong’s justice department should review its decision to drop a high-profile corruption probe against former leader Leung Chun-ying by seeking a second opinion, the city’s professional body for barristers said on Friday. In a statement, the Bar Association challenged the Department of Justice (DOJ) for edeparting from past convention by not seeking independent legal advice before clearing Leung, adding to pressure from legal scholars and pro-democracy lawmakers. Bar Association to scrutinise... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2178976/hong-kong-justice-officials-should-seek-second-opinion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2178976/hong-kong-justice-officials-should-seek-second-opinion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Dec 2018 23:32:18 +0000 Hong Kong’s secretary for justice will be questioned by lawmakers next month on her decision not to charge former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, it emerged on Wednesday. The news came as a former director of public prosecutions criticised Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah and her department for not answering even the most basic of questions about the case. While pro-government camp lawmakers said Cheng should only be asked about prosecution policy when she attends the Legislative Council meeting on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2178780/lawmakers-question-hong-kongs-justice-secretary-decision-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2178780/lawmakers-question-hong-kongs-justice-secretary-decision-not?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Dec 2018 23:03:28 +0000 The head of Hong Kong’s legislature’s legal affairs panel has poured cold water on calls from lawmakers to debate the government’s decision to clear former leader Leung Chun-ying of any wrongdoing over a payment he received from an Australian firm. The city’s justice chief has come under mounting pressure to explain her decision. The panel chairwoman Priscilla Leung Mei-fun said she was not inclined to talk on individual cases but said members could discuss prosecution policy. She said members... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2178672/head-legco-legal-affairs-panel-plays-down-calls-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2178672/head-legco-legal-affairs-panel-plays-down-calls-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Dec 2018 05:54:47 +0000 Christy Leung,Alvin Lum Christy Leung,Alvin Lum Hong Kong’s graft-buster on Tuesday joined calls by pan-democratic lawmakers for the justice chief to explain to the public her decision to clear former leader Leung Chun-ying of any wrongdoing over a HK$50 million (US$6.3 million) payment he received from an Australian engineering firm. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said it had “left no stone unturned” in its four-year probe and that investigators had tried their best and exhausted all means on the case. “I do believe... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2178605/graft-busters-join-calls-justice-officials-explain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2178605/graft-busters-join-calls-justice-officials-explain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Dec 2018 15:07:46 +0000 Hong Kong prosecutors’ decision to end a corruption investigation into former city leader Leung Chun-ying without getting external advice will come under scrutiny from the local barristers’ body, the Post has learned. Chairman of the Bar Association Philip Dykes said the matter would be on the agenda next week when members of the Bar Council, which steers the 1,500-member group, gathered to meet. That followed criticism from law scholars and former investigators from the city’s anti-corruption... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2178145/hong-kong-bar-association-scrutinise-department?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2178145/hong-kong-bar-association-scrutinise-department?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Dec 2018 10:12:58 +0000 Democrats in Hong Kong are considering asking for a judicial review of the Department of Justice’s decision not to prosecute former chief executive Leung Chun-ying. The announcement came a day after the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) ended a four-year investigation into the former chief executive over a HK$50 million payment he received in connection with a deal he made with an Australian engineering firm before he took office. Legal experts, however, said the move was unlikely... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2177918/democrats-ponder-next-move-after-justice-department-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2177918/democrats-ponder-next-move-after-justice-department-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Dec 2018 01:20:33 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo The fortunes of politicians are a lot like the stock market: they go up and down in unexpected ways. This week, for example, has been good for former chief executive Leung Chun-ying but terrible for his chief tormentor from the opposition, Lam Cheuk-ting. After a marathon four-year investigation, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Department of Justice have cleared Leung over a payment of HK$50 million he received from Australian engineering firm UGL. In an official statement,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2177855/leung-chun-yings-tormentor-political-spent-force?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2177855/leung-chun-yings-tormentor-political-spent-force?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Dec 2018 10:01:31 +0000 Shirley Zhao Shirley Zhao Justice officials have been accused of deviating from accepted practice by failing to seek third-party legal advice before clearing a former Hong Kong leader of corruption involving HK$50 million (US$6.4 million). A law academic and a former investigator for the city’s anti-corruption agency said the move was not in line with earlier investigations. The Department of Justice argued otherwise. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Wednesday concluded a four-year probe into... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2177786/hong-kong-justice-officials-should-have-got-independent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2177786/hong-kong-justice-officials-should-have-got-independent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Dec 2018 05:19:46 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a four-year corruption investigation into a HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) payment he received from an Australian engineering firm. The city’s graft-buster, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, said on Wednesday it would not take any “further investigative action”, ending the marathon probe. In a statement, the ICAC said it submitted a report on Wednesday to the independent Operations Review Committee,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2177693/former-hong-kong-chief-executive-cy-leung-cleared-any?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2177693/former-hong-kong-chief-executive-cy-leung-cleared-any?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Dec 2018 12:30:45 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has threatened to launch a crowdfunding campaign to finance legal action in Britain against an opposition lawmaker from the city. His comments on Tuesday came after the legislator in question used the same fundraising strategy in an unsuccessful bid to have Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) investigate a HK$50 million (US$6.37 million) payment made to Leung by Australian engineering firm UGL during his term of office. A defiant Leung claimed he would... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163743/former-hong-kong-chief-executive-cy-leung-threatens-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163743/former-hong-kong-chief-executive-cy-leung-threatens-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Sep 2018 09:05:21 +0000 Hong Kong’s pro-democracy academics and pundits have spoken up against former chief executive Leung Chun-ying’s legal actions against university scholars Chung Kim-wah and Eric Cheung Tat-ming. In a joint press conference on Sunday, three groups – the Scholars’ Alliance for Academic Freedom, the Independent Commentators Association, and the Confederation of Tertiary Institutes Staff Unions – said about 600 people had joined an online petition campaign they launched last Monday to say no to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163439/academics-accuse-former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-using?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163439/academics-accuse-former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-using?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Sep 2018 11:32:56 +0000 Hong Kong’s former top official Leung Chun-ying declared on Saturday that Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had decided to halt its investigation of a case involving HK$50 million (US$6.3 million) paid to him by an Australian engineering firm while he led the city. The news was later confirmed by Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who filed a complaint with the authority last November. The NCA’s latest decision came the same day after Lam and his party colleague, Andrew Wan Siu-kin,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163357/former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-says-britains-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2163357/former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-says-britains-national?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Sep 2018 07:00:30 +0000 Hong Kong’s main free-to-air broadcaster got a warning on Tuesday over its “inaccurate” reports that the Department of Justice had dropped a case involving HK$50 million (US$6.3 million) in payments made by an Australian engineering firm to a former city leader. The Communications Authority said in a statement that Television Broadcasts (TVB) had breached the code of practice on programme standards stipulating that news be presented “with accuracy and due impartiality”. Leung Chun-ying, Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161730/tvb-warned-over-inaccurate-reports-ex-hong-kong-leader-cy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161730/tvb-warned-over-inaccurate-reports-ex-hong-kong-leader-cy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Aug 2018 12:31:06 +0000 A Hong Kong law scholar has said academics will not be silenced by threats of court action after revealing he also received legal letters from the city’s former leader, Leung Chun-ying. Eric Cheung Tat-ming’s revelation came days after Leung said he was suing another university professor and a non-profit online media outlet for libel. Cheung, who received the threat over comments about the former chief executive’s undeclared payout from a foreign firm, reminded Leung he was no longer in local... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161453/former-hong-kong-leader-leung-chun-ying-threatened-me-legal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2161453/former-hong-kong-leader-leung-chun-ying-threatened-me-legal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Aug 2018 03:45:30 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying issued another strongly worded legal letter on Monday warning of further action against Democratic Party members after they vowed to push ahead with an investigation into a HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) payment he received from an Australian engineering firm during his term as the city’s chief executive. Leung sent out the 17-page letter through his lawyers, a day after the Democrats said they would set up a committee to manage the HK$2.2 million they... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2144095/cy-leung-issues-stern-warning-democrats-promise-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2144095/cy-leung-issues-stern-warning-democrats-promise-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 May 2018 01:33:28 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has threatened to take legal action against Democratic Party members over their “unfounded” allegations surrounding a HK$50 million payment he received while in office. Leung’s lawyers sent strongly worded letters to the Democrats on Tuesday after they launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance an international investigation into the money he received from Australian engineering firm UGL Limited. Sent to lawmakers Lam Cheuk-ting and Andrew Wan Siu-kin,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2141147/former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-threatens-legal-action-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2141147/former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung-threatens-legal-action-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Apr 2018 00:31:14 +0000 Democratic Party lawmakers raised more than HK$100,000 less than 12 hours after they launched a crowdfunding campaign to bankroll an international investigation into former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying. The investigation relates to an undeclared HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) payment he received from an Australian firm around the time he took office. While Leung did not address the launch of Monday’s crowdfunding campaign, he labelled as “misguided” legal advice the party also filed to local... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2140968/cy-leung-defiant-democratic-party-launches-crowdfunding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2140968/cy-leung-defiant-democratic-party-launches-crowdfunding?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Apr 2018 23:30:54 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam The Department of Justice said on Sunday it had not decided whether to prosecute former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying over the undeclared HK$50 million he received from an Australian firm around the time he took office, saying reports that it had dropped the case were inaccurate. That came as a lawmaker who initially called for the probe said he would be “astonished and disappointed” if the reports were true. Leung’s failure to declare his deal with engineering firm UGL sparked controversy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2133706/hong-kong-prosecutors-still-not-decided-whether-charge-cy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2133706/hong-kong-prosecutors-still-not-decided-whether-charge-cy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Feb 2018 06:00:30 +0000 Christy Leung Christy Leung Complaints of corruption in Hong Kong’s finance and insurance sectors rose by almost 20 per cent to 177 in the first 11 months of this year, the city’s graft buster revealed on Wednesday, even as it said that this did not point to a worsening problem. However just weeks ago, Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) mounted a large scale investigation of listed company Convoy Global Holdings, in the city’s largest corruption crackdown in a decade. It arrested three senior executives who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2125075/graft-complaints-hong-kongs-finance-and-insurance-sectors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2125075/graft-complaints-hong-kongs-finance-and-insurance-sectors?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2017 07:32:29 +0000