https://www.scmp.com/rss/35740/feed Kemal Bokhary is the former permanent judge of Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal. Bokhary qualified as a barrister in the United Kingdom at 23 but returned to work in Hong Kong, where he was born. He has served as one of the four permanent judges in the Court of Final Appeal since 1997. Bokhary is known for his sense of humour in court. He stepped down on October 24, 2012 – a day before he turned 65. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma Jess Ma A Hong Kong woman who made tabloid headlines for her repeated brushes with the law and prominent family name has been found dead in her home, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source told SCMP on Saturday that a 90-year-old woman surnamed Bokhary had reported to police the day before that her daughter had lost consciousness at home. The younger woman, believed to be in her forties, was certified dead at the scene. The insider identified her as Amina Mariam Bokhary. “Police checks on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345835/amina-bokhary-niece-top-judge-found-dead-hong-kong-home-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345835/amina-bokhary-niece-top-judge-found-dead-hong-kong-home-source?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:53:30 +0000 A woman with a renowned family name whose legal problems have earned her citywide notoriety was charged on Wednesday with drug possession. Amina Mariam Bokhary, the niece of Court of Final Appeal judge Kemal Bokhary, was accused of carrying a 0.14 gram of cocaine inside a plastic bag she had with her at Queen’s Road in Central on May 11. Bokhary was charged in Eastern Court with one count of possession of a dangerous drug. She was not required to make a plea. Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3023809/amina-bokhary-niece-top-hong-kong-judge-charged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3023809/amina-bokhary-niece-top-hong-kong-judge-charged?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2019 15:23:50 +0000 A Hong Kong woman whose family name and past scrapes with police have brought citywide notoriety was jailed again on Monday after she admitted driving illegally but claimed it was only to buy congee for her ailing parents. Amina Mariam Bokhary, the niece of Court of Final Appeal judge Kemal Bokhary, was jailed for six weeks and disqualified from driving for 18 months, but prosecutors dropped four assault charges against her that had been filed – and then withdrawn – by her parents. Bohkary,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3004190/assault-charges-dropped-hong-kongs-amina-bokhary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3004190/assault-charges-dropped-hong-kongs-amina-bokhary?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Apr 2019 12:01:45 +0000 A Hong Kong woman whose family name and past brushes with the law have given her citywide notoriety is in trouble again, this time for skipping out on a bail hearing, the Post learned on Thursday. Amina Mariam Bokhary, the niece of Court of Final Appeal judge Kemal Bokhary, was released on police bail after her arrest on January 31. She was pulled over on King Kwong Street in Happy Valley after a police patrol team saw her car cruising in an erratic manner. Bokhary was ordered to report to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3001760/amina-bokhary-niece-top-hong-kong-judge-wanted-police?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3001760/amina-bokhary-niece-top-hong-kong-judge-wanted-police?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2019 15:25:15 +0000 Beijing’s interpretation of the city’s mini-constitution might affect the judicial autonomy of local courts, but Hong Kong judges would always independently apply the law, top judge Kemal Bokhary said on Wednesday. As for the topic of democratic reform, the liberal justice, who sits on the Court of Final Appeal as a non-permanent judge, urged the public not to give way to despair, despite he himself not being certain about the prospect of restarting the process. Speaking after a book launch on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2184407/hong-kong-courts-independent-despite-beijings-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2184407/hong-kong-courts-independent-despite-beijings-power?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jan 2019 02:45:53 +0000 Recollections by Kemal Bokhary Sweet & Maxwell Cliff Buddle It's sometimes easy to forget that judges are human beings. Each appears much like another under their wig and gown. They seldom, if ever, give media interviews or express their views in public, and we usually hear from them only when they deliver their court judgments. So when a prominent judge publishes his memoirs after more than 40 years in the legal profession - 24 of them on the Hong Kong bench - we have a rare opportunity to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1275947/bokharys-memoirs-offer-look-man-who-held-gavel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1275947/bokharys-memoirs-offer-look-man-who-held-gavel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Ferry captains back in court The captains of the two vessels involved in October's Lamma ferry tragedy appear in Eastern Court. Chow Chi-wai, 56, captain of Hongkong Electric's Lamma IV, and Lai Sai-ming, 54, captain of public ferry Sea Smooth, were each charged with 39 counts of manslaughter last month. A report into the disaster, released last week, excluded sections dealing with the conduct of the two captains pending the trial.   Indian minister makes Beijing visit India External Affairs... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1233198/talking-points?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1233198/talking-points?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 It was a key court ruling on the "one country, two systems" principle that made Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary want to stay on as a permanent judge as he neared retirement. One of the founding judges of the Court of Final Appeal, Bokhary describes this pivotal moment and many others from his years on the bench in his autobiography Recollections, seen exclusively by the South China Morning Post ahead of its release today. It was the top court's majority decision in the so-called Congo case of 2011. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1221701/life-court-lawyers-robbers-and-other-reptiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1221701/life-court-lawyers-robbers-and-other-reptiles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 If you see something that you do not like about the mainland and you criticise it, that is not an attack against the country Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary on the patriotism debate   What happened in Boston could happen anywhere Hong Kong marathon organising committee chairman William Ko   We have to prepare if we are to sustain peace in the Taiwan Strait Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou on the biggest live-fire drill since he took office https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1216950/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1216950/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Criticism of the mainland in areas one dislikes does not amount to being unpatriotic - a trait Beijing officials have signalled should disqualify one from vying for chief executive - a liberal judge of the top court says. Justice Kemal Bokhary, a non-permanent judge at the Court of Final Appeal, also said a referendum should be held for certain issues to increase the level of democracy. If you see something that you do not like about the mainland and you criticise it, that is not an attack... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1216922/patriots-can-be-beijing-critics-too-liberal-judge-kemal-bokhary-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1216922/patriots-can-be-beijing-critics-too-liberal-judge-kemal-bokhary-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 I expect 2013 to be a year full of challenges - we cannot be too optimistic Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah on the city's economic outlook   You can find a good judge just anywhere and a bad judge just anywhere as well Former Court of Final Appeal judge Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary   We're on our own and then you're in a situation where you would die Adventurer Ranulph Fiennes on his team's planned attempt to cross the Antarctic in winter, with no hope of rescue in the event of an accident https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1122364/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1122364/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Lawyers are suggesting that judges are becoming more inclined to convict defendants as growing numbers of former prosecutors join the bench. This follows the appointment last week of four District Court judges, two of whom had held senior positions in the Department of Justice, including a former senior assistant director of public prosecutions. Six district judges appointed since 2009 were former prosecutors - just over a fifth of the total appointments in that time. A senior barrister who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1122327/courts-are-keen-convict-claim-lawyers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1122327/courts-are-keen-convict-claim-lawyers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The previous secretary for justice says he sees no "storm clouds" gathering over the rule of law, countering a judge's recent warning of a threat to the city's judicial independence. One of the city's best-known judges, Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, said in October that "storm clouds of unprecedented ferocity" were gathering over the courts. But yesterday Wong Yan-lung said: "I see no 'storm clouds' in the judicial system, as the Court of Final Appeal is the highest appellate court in Hong Kong. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1100179/ex-justice-secretary-wong-yan-lung-denies-storm-cloud-over-judiciary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1100179/ex-justice-secretary-wong-yan-lung-denies-storm-cloud-over-judiciary?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 One of Hong Kong's best-known judges, who believes he was obliged to accept retirement because of his liberal views, yesterday again warned of the threat to the city's rule of law if judicial decisions were overturned outside the courts. Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, a former permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal, warned of threats to the judiciary's independence, when he retired in October, and yesterday confirmed that he was referring to comments made by former secretary for justice Elsie... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1098443/liberal-judge-bokhary-stands-his-dissenting-views?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1098443/liberal-judge-bokhary-stands-his-dissenting-views?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Appalling lack of respect for marine life Unfortunately the recent case of people at Lung Mei destroying sea life is not an isolated one. At Pui O beach the weekend before last, a group of visitors was seen gathering a large number of hermit crabs, putting them into a bucket and playing with them for a while before dumping the crabs in a pile far from the sea. If they had not been returned to the sea by some children who saw what happened, they would certainly have died. Many people were also... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1086382/letters-editor-november-20-2012?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1086382/letters-editor-november-20-2012?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Nationality should not be a criterion for appointing judges to the city's top court, Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary said yesterday, rejecting a suggestion that only Chinese nationals should take up the posts. Bokhary, who retired as a permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal last month, was responding to a mainland scholar's suggestion that overseas judges should be excluded from Hong Kong's highest court. "If you make a change, you really want to know why you are making a change, and people will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1084124/kemal-bokhary-rejects-call-exclude-overseas-judges-top-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1084124/kemal-bokhary-rejects-call-exclude-overseas-judges-top-court?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 In a free and open society, controversy is a hallmark Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, recently retired judge of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal, on the fierce public debate surrounding judicial rulings   It was great. We had a lot of doughnuts U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, on a fruitless meeting of the bipartisan "gang of eight" senators seeking a way to avoid America's looming "fiscal cliff"   With [Liu Yunshan] in charge, the control on ideology will only get tougher Journalist Cheng Yizhong on the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1084201/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1084201/who-said-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Nationality should not be a criterion for appointing judges to the city’s top court, Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary said on Friday, rejecting a suggestion that only Chinese nationals should take up the posts. The liberal judge, who retired as a permanent judge on the Court of Final Appeal last month, was responding to a mainland scholar’s suggestion that overseas judges should be excluded from Hong Kong’s highest court. “If you make a change, you really want to know why you are making a change, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1083913/kemal-bokhary-rejects-nationality-criterion-top-judges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1083913/kemal-bokhary-rejects-nationality-criterion-top-judges?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:16:17 +0000 Impartiality must be the legal standard I read with misgivings the dubious claim of Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, former permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal, that his "liberalism" cost him an extended appointment despite his impeccable understanding of Hong Kong's legal relations with China ("Former judge: 'I was ousted for being too liberal'", November 5). Contrast his public admission of "liberal" inclination with US Supreme Court Justice John Roberts' emphasis on impartiality in a recent... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1078996/letters-editor-november-10-2012?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1078996/letters-editor-november-10-2012?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Court idea an attack on judges: lawmaker Legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang yesterday described as an attack on judges a proposal by two Basic Law experts that only Chinese nationals be eligible to be judges in the Court of Final Appeal. He said the proposal by mainland scholar Professor Cheng Jie and Basic Law Institute chairman Alan Hoo defied the Basic Law, which says members of the judiciary "shall be chosen on the basis of their judicial and professional qualities and may be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1075639/city-digest-november-6-2012?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1075639/city-digest-november-6-2012?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 One of the city's best-known judges believes his liberal rulings are behind the government's decision not to extend his term of service beyond his retirement. Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, 65, stepped down on October 24 as a permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal. In a surprise announcement in March, his job went to Mr Justice Robert Tang Ching, who is nine months older. In an interview broadcast by ATV on its Newsline programme last night, Bokhary also said the former justice secretary Elsie... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1075186/former-judge-bokhary-i-was-ousted-being-too-liberal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1075186/former-judge-bokhary-i-was-ousted-being-too-liberal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's justice minister yesterday refused to comment directly on a warning delivered by one of its most senior judges that "clouds heralding a storm of unprecedented ferocity" were gathering over the rule of law in the city. Asked about the comments made last week by retiring permanent Court of Final Appeal judge Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary - who was reacting to statements made by former justice chief Elsie Leung Oi-sie - incumbent secretary for justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung would only say... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1071452/hong-kongs-justice-minister-says-he-will-safeguard-judicial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1071452/hong-kongs-justice-minister-says-he-will-safeguard-judicial?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's autumn is known to be the season of sunshine rather than storms. But the prevailing political climate suggests otherwise. On Wednesday, a retiring judge of the city's highest court warned of clouds heralding a "storm of unprecedented ferocity". Justice Kemal Bokhary was apparently referring to calls for an reinterpretation of a 2001 ruling, which upheld the right of abode to babies born to mainland parents in the city. Separately in Beijing, Chen Zuoer, former deputy director of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1069866/chief-executive-leung-chun-ying-must-bridge-gap-distrust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1069866/chief-executive-leung-chun-ying-must-bridge-gap-distrust?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Clouds heralding a "storm of unprecedented ferocity" are gathering over the rule of law in Hong Kong, a retiring judge of the top court said yesterday. Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary said "talk about reinterpreting a decision of the courts of long standing" was one specific element of the storm - "and the atmosphere created by the mere fact that this call is being made will constitute the rest of it". Bokhary was understood to be referring to calls for a reinterpretation of a 2001 Court of Final... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1069047/retiring-court-final-appeal-judge-kemal-bokhary-warns-legal-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1069047/retiring-court-final-appeal-judge-kemal-bokhary-warns-legal-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A liberal voice of the top court sounded a warning yesterday on self-censorship among local media in a speech to hundreds of journalists. And once again, the retiring permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, exhibited his stern opposition to seeking Basic Law interpretations from Beijing. 'Free speech is the lifeblood of the media,' he said at the Journalist Association's annual ball last night. 'Self-censorship: if that comes in, everything will end ... The... https://www.scmp.com/article/1001344/judge-warns-against-self-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1001344/judge-warns-against-self-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Holding our noses as leading judge is dumped Something stinks yet we are choosing not to smell it. We should demand answers, but we are not even asking questions. Why? This business of Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary being ousted as a Court of Final Appeal judge due to age reeks of sewer stench. It attacks judicial independence. And that, in turn, is an attack on our free society. But we are not circling the wagons. Except for a few lone voices we have remained mute. Bokhary's liberal activism as a top... https://www.scmp.com/article/997944/public-eye?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/997944/public-eye?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary has never been far from the spotlight in his 23 years of wearing the judge's robe. Hailed as the liberal voice and conscience of the Court of Final Appeal by his colleagues in the legal profession, he has also been in the public eye. Indeed, Bokhary has made headlines for his pithy wisdom, his threat to resign, as revealed in a leaked United States embassy cable, and for the uproar over his niece's slapping of a police officer. Born in Hong Kong to a Pakistani family,... https://www.scmp.com/article/997741/courts-liberal-voice-revered-dissent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/997741/courts-liberal-voice-revered-dissent?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Leung Chun-ying was elected chief executive amid rising concern over the erosion of core values related to freedoms and the rule of law, as well as social cohesion. As a result, his popularity has taken a hit. On the eve of the poll, some 220,000 Hongkongers took part in an unofficial vote. More than 120,000 people cast blank votes to show their discontent with pro-establishment candidates who have no mandate from the people. These voters were motivated by their strong desire to safeguard Hong... https://www.scmp.com/article/997406/retirement-liberal-judge-raises-fears-our-core-values?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/997406/retirement-liberal-judge-raises-fears-our-core-values?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The government yesterday appointed a judge older than the retiring Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary to fill his shoes as a permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal - an arrangement that surprised some senior lawyers. Mr Justice Robert Tang Ching, vice-president of the Court of Appeal, will become a permanent judge of the top court on October 25 when Bokhary turns 65, the retirement age for judges, even though Tang is nine months older. Bokhary, who is well known for his frequent dissenting... https://www.scmp.com/article/996913/new-judge-older-retiree-hes-replacing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/996913/new-judge-older-retiree-hes-replacing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal will retire in October, putting more pressure on a judiciary that faces a shortage of judges. Bokhary earned his nickname 'dissenting Pao' (a transliteration of his Chinese name) for writing far more dissenting judgments than other judges sitting on the top court. He is known for his sense of humour, liberal thinking and concern about human rights and the underprivileged. As he is 65 this year, Bokhary must retire. He reportedly... https://www.scmp.com/article/996785/hk-faces-loss-liberal-voice-top-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/996785/hk-faces-loss-liberal-voice-top-court?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Aung San Suu Kyi gets HKU honorary degree The University of Hong Kong is to make Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi an Honorary Doctor of Law. The 66-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who is campaigning for parliamentary elections in April, will not be attending the March ceremony. Other honorary degree recipients this year include Court of Final Appeal permanent judge Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, and New World Development managing director Henry Cheng Kar-shun. Taiwan woman,... https://www.scmp.com/article/991396/city-digest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/991396/city-digest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A top judge called yesterday for the abolition of a clause under which civil disputes can reach the Court of Final Appeal if they involve claims of HK$1 million or more. 'The time has come - indeed is long overdue - to bring this court in line with other courts of last resort by abolishing appeals as of right,' Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary said. The judge was writing in a judgment on a civil case handed down yesterday. The clause was heavily criticised by him and five other Court of Final Appeal... https://www.scmp.com/article/985774/judge-calls-axing-hk1m-appeals-trigger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/985774/judge-calls-axing-hk1m-appeals-trigger?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong came close to a crisis in 1999 when all five judges of the top court considered resigning after their right-of-abode ruling was overturned by Beijing, according to a US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks. Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary (pictured) told the US consulate in 2007 that he and other four judges of the Court of Final Appeal 'seriously considered resignation' after the interpretation of the Basic Law by the National People's Congress Standing Committee in June 1999, which... https://www.scmp.com/article/978391/all-citys-top-judges-considered-quitting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/978391/all-citys-top-judges-considered-quitting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 A Court of Appeal judge described as unfortunate a comment by the magistrate sentencing top judge's niece Amina Mariam Bokhary that the defendant had a 'good background'. Vice-President of the Court of Appeal Frank Stock made the observation in a judgment which explained the court's decision to extend Bokhary's one-year driving ban to three years for failing to provide a breath sample, but not to replace a HK$5,000 fine with a jail term. Stock was referring to Magistrate Anthony Yuen... https://www.scmp.com/article/740667/bokhary-comment-unfortunate-judge-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/740667/bokhary-comment-unfortunate-judge-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Amina Mariam Bokhary, the top judge's niece with a history of scuffling with police officers, will be spending a longer time off the road. The Court of Appeal yesterday extended her one-year driving ban, for failing to provide a breath specimen, to three years. In August, Magistrate Anthony Yuen Wai-ming in Eastern Court disqualified Bokhary for a year and fined her HK$5,000 for the offence, which was committed after her car collided head-on with a tour bus last January. Deputy Director of... https://www.scmp.com/article/735467/bokharys-driving-ban-head-crash-raised-one-year-three?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/735467/bokharys-driving-ban-head-crash-raised-one-year-three?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000 A magistrate is expected to announce today a ruling on allegations that Amina Mariam Bokhary breached conditions of her probation order, imposed in August for slapping a policeman, which could lead her to jail. Over the past two days, Acting Principal Magistrate Amanda Woodcock has heard evidence on Bokhary's progress report behind closed doors in Eastern Court. The 34-year-old niece of Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, who was convicted a third time of assaulting a police officer, denied the alleged... https://www.scmp.com/article/734082/ruling-bokhary-probation-today?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/734082/ruling-bokhary-probation-today?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Everyone's angry - yet again. This time people are enraged that a judge didn't jail a rich girl for slapping a policeman. They believe our justice system favours the wealthy. But we need to straighten something out. Are people angry that a rich girl got off? Or are they angry that she got off because she's a rich girl? There's a huge difference. Maybe the people are mostly angry because Amina Bokhary got off even though it's her third offence, rich or poor aside? It's important we pin it... https://www.scmp.com/article/722290/court-opinion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/722290/court-opinion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000 In the way that it is used in Hong Kong, [Cantonese] is merely a coarse, vulgar relic of China's feudal past ... Hongkongers should be ashamed. Post letter-writer Clark Li, who prefers Putonghua for official functions The defendant has a good background, a well-off family, good education and outstanding academic achievement ... with a first-class honour in bachelor of business administration. And most importantly, [she] has caring and concerned parents. Magistrate Anthony Yuen Wai-ming, letting... https://www.scmp.com/article/721513/quotes-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/721513/quotes-week?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Amina Bokhary's uncle is a top judge in Hong Kong. She has been in the news recently because she was convicted of slapping a police officer. This is the third time she has been found guilty of assaulting the police. Yet, she was given what some people believe is a very light sentence. Bokhary, 34, whose uncle is Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, was put on probation for a year by Magistrate Anthony Yuen Wai-ming. The decision has sparked an outcry among the community who think it is very unfair. The... https://www.scmp.com/article/721394/sentence-sparks-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/721394/sentence-sparks-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's criminal justice system is firmly rooted in the belief that punishment is only a means to an end, and that the primary aim is to ensure rehabilitation for offenders so that they can return to society as better citizens. It is, therefore, common to hear magistrates say they are willing to give first-time offenders a second chance, or impose lighter sentences because the offender has pleaded guilty and shown genuine remorse. Nobody should underestimate the effect of depriving a person... https://www.scmp.com/article/721261/sentencing-arouses-suspicion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/721261/sentencing-arouses-suspicion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000 Magistrate Adriana Tse warned Amina Mariam Bokhary's lawyer, who applied for a second adjournment at Eastern Court, that it would be the last time. Bokhary, 33, is the niece of Court of Final Appeal judge Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary. She was charged with careless driving, failing to perform a breath test and assaulting police after an accident on January 27 at Happy Valley. No plea has been entered. Peter Duncan SC asked to adjourn until July 6 for a medical report. https://www.scmp.com/article/714922/warning-case-adjourned-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/714922/warning-case-adjourned-again?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 May 2010 16:00:00 +0000 The niece of a Court of Final Appeal judge assaulted a second police constable after she was taken to the police station in January for careless driving and slapping a policeman, the court heard yesterday. Amina Mariam Bokhary, a British national and the niece of Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, entered no plea in Eastern Court to two counts of assaulting a police officer, and a count each of careless driving and failing to take a breath test. The court heard that on January 27, Bokhary drove a... https://www.scmp.com/article/710771/judges-niece-slapped-second-police-constable-court-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/710771/judges-niece-slapped-second-police-constable-court-told?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000 The niece of a Court of Final Appeal judge Kemal Bokhary was sentenced in Eastern Court yesterday to the maximum 240 hours of community service for assaulting a policewoman and a taxi driver after a magistrate said the offences could have landed her in jail. Amina Mariam Bokhary, 32, who suffers from bipolar depression disorder, was also fined HK$1,000 and ordered to continue her psychological and psychiatric treatment. https://www.scmp.com/article/662372/community-service-judges-niece?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/662372/community-service-judges-niece?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Illegal workers will on occasion be eligible for compensation if they are injured, the city's highest court said yesterday. The Court of Final Appeal has refused to hear an appeal by the Employees' Compensation Assistance Fund Board against an award made last year to the family of a mainland man who was killed while working in defiance of the conditions on his two-way permit. In September the Court of Appeal awarded HK$303,000 to the family of Liu Hon-keung, who fell to his death while... https://www.scmp.com/article/623309/court-rules-ii-compensation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/623309/court-rules-ii-compensation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A top banker had her shoplifting conviction quashed yesterday on the grounds that she probably acted under the influence of a surgical drug injected a few hours earlier. Chia Su-yen, 37, formerly vice-president of JPMorgan Chase Bank, allegedly swapped the price tags on two DVDs, valued at HK$719 in total, with cheaper ones in a branch of HMV on August 1 last year. She was approached by security staff at the Hankow Road store when she tried to pay for the films - Law and Order Criminal... https://www.scmp.com/article/604209/bankers-theft-conviction-quashed-after-surgical-drug-revelation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/604209/bankers-theft-conviction-quashed-after-surgical-drug-revelation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:00:00 +0000 In minority view, senior justice seeks discretion in favour of immigrants One of the city's most senior judges yesterday renewed a call for the government to grant residency to right-of-abode seekers still in the city. Mr Justice Kemal Bokhary, a permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal, made the suggestion in a minority judgment appended to a case concerning several outstanding claims by abode seekers. 'With the last of these sad cases in sight,' Mr Justice Bokhary wrote, 'I cannot help... https://www.scmp.com/article/601872/let-abode-seekers-stay-says-judge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/601872/let-abode-seekers-stay-says-judge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:00:00 +0000 A jury in a murder trial was discharged yesterday before proceedings began after a heated exchange between the judge and a juror who said his English was too poor to serve on the seven-member panel even though he was a university graduate. Chan Wa-pang told Justice Verina Bokhary in the Court of First Instance that he would be unhappy about serving on the jury for 28 hearing days and would probably make an irrational decision at the end. 'For every task I do, I won't do it well if I don't do... https://www.scmp.com/article/576203/jurors-english-halts-murder-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/576203/jurors-english-halts-murder-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:00:00 +0000 It is said that the greatest discourses on liberty, responsibility and democracy in the United States take place in the Supreme Court. In Hong Kong, the most profound and engaged deliberations occur in the Court of Final Appeal because, in common law, most fundamental issues can end in the courts and because of the quality of our judges. In addition to their intellectual and moral calibre and legal learning, they have shown great commitment to human rights. In a less-than-democratic place, they... https://www.scmp.com/article/510096/guarding-our-precious-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/510096/guarding-our-precious-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jul 2005 16:00:00 +0000 The highest court yesterday quashed a bribery conviction against a businessman because his lawyer was 'flagrantly incompetent' and had compromised the fairness of the trial. It was the first time an appeal based on the incompetence of the defence counsel had been reached and ruled on by the Court of Final Appeal. The five judges were unanimous in quashing the conviction in an appeal lodged by Chong Ching-yuen, who was convicted of conspiracy to offer an advantage to a bank worker, a charge... https://www.scmp.com/article/454052/bribery-conviction-quashed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/454052/bribery-conviction-quashed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Apr 2004 16:00:00 +0000 SCMP, January 1, 2003 By Victoria Button Revellers welcoming the New Year at Lan Kwai Fong last night were likely to have been oblivious to the grim anniversary coinciding with their celebrations. Minutes after the New Year's countdown 10 years ago today, the life was crushed out of 21 young people in the entertainment district. They were among a good-humoured crowd estimated at as many as 20,000 who surged down D'Aguilar Street after a countdown ceremony, spraying each other with beer,... https://www.scmp.com/article/402518/new-year-tragedy-remembered-10-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/402518/new-year-tragedy-remembered-10-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jan 2003 16:00:00 +0000