https://www.scmp.com/rss/8086/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Polly Hui Polly Hui She has recorded herself playing the knife game, methodically thrusting a blade between splayed fingers and inevitably nicking flesh and moaning. Then there is footage of her flogging her body before lying naked and bloody on ice. And who can forget the clips showing her trekking thousands of kilometres across the Great Wall of China to meet a lover – only to part ways upon arrival? That long march, 36 years ago, is the inspiration for her latest work. So, when performance artist Marina... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3283861/marina-abramovic-returns-china-new-exhibition-36-years-after-her-famous-great-wall-walk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3283861/marina-abramovic-returns-china-new-exhibition-36-years-after-her-famous-great-wall-walk?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Oct 2024 20:00:13 +0000 Legendary Cantopop singer Frances Yip Lai-yee has come full circle, returning to her roots in Hong Kong to celebrate the city’s rich musical heritage. But while her 55-year career has been illustrious, it is also linked inextricably to that of her mentors, James Wong Jim and Joseph Koo Ka-fai, who revolutionised Cantopop with their innovative blend of Chinese and Western music, as well as lyrics melding literary Chinese and colloquial Cantonese. Yip’s hits have resonated with Chinese-speaking... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3271853/cantopop-star-frances-yip-revisits-her-work-james-wong-jim-and-joseph-koo-ka-fai-put-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3271853/cantopop-star-frances-yip-revisits-her-work-james-wong-jim-and-joseph-koo-ka-fai-put-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 11:00:09 +0000 Ever since her childhood, disabled activist Alice Wong has had an affinity with Star Trek and X-Men, not only because of the superpowers of the cyborgs and mutants who coexisted with humans in those worlds. She has resonated with those and other sci-fi aliens for different reasons. Like a cyborg, for example, Wong’s body is enmeshed in technology setting her apart from other humans: she relies on a power wheelchair for daily life, as well as a non-invasive ventilator and a spine fused with metal... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/3189436/disabled-person-non-disabled-world-alice-wong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/3189436/disabled-person-non-disabled-world-alice-wong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Aug 2022 10:15:18 +0000 The number of people prosecuted for cruelty to animals increased from 30 in 2006 to 42 last year, government figures reveal. All but two of the 42 prosecutions led to convictions. Among them, 26 cases resulted in fines and seven led to imprisonment. In 2006, 28 of the 30 cases resulted in convictions. The defendants in three of the cases were imprisoned and those in 21 cases were fined. The average term of imprisonment imposed in the past two years was about six weeks. The figures were released... https://www.scmp.com/article/633972/prosecutions-cruelty-animals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/633972/prosecutions-cruelty-animals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The increase in the number of substantiated cases of social welfare fraud in recent years was partly due to greater public awareness, labour minister Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said yesterday. In the 2007/08 financial year there were 960 substantiated fraud cases involving more than HK$45.4 million. There were 896 such cases in 2006/07 involving more than HK$50 million. And in 2005/06 there were 764 cases involving more than HK$47 million. https://www.scmp.com/article/633988/public-more-aware-welfare-cheats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/633988/public-more-aware-welfare-cheats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:00:00 +0000 An expert in kindergarten financing said there had been a widespread problem of preschools exaggerating what they paid teachers so as to get subsidies. Li Hui, assistant professor of education at the University of Hong Kong, said he knew of cases where kindergartens claimed they had followed the government pay scale but had in fact asked teachers to return a portion of their salaries to support the schools' operations. 'The schools must stick to the rigid pay scale. Otherwise they would not get... https://www.scmp.com/article/634060/teachers-pay-often-exaggerated-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/634060/teachers-pay-often-exaggerated-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Owners of a luxury residential development in Tai Kok Tsui yesterday urged the government and developer Henderson Land to return the 200,000 sq ft podium to private use. The podium, which had been earmarked for the exclusive use of the 3,500 households at Metro Harbourview, has been open to the public since it appeared on a list of 230 privately managed public open spaces released by the Development Bureau on March 28. Members of the Owner Committee and Rights-Protection Concern Group at Metro... https://www.scmp.com/article/633644/luxury-estate-owners-demand-public-podium-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/633644/luxury-estate-owners-demand-public-podium-back?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:00:00 +0000 About 140 people have applied to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to participate in the Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Competition next month. The applicants include 12 Cheung Chau residents, according to a spokesman for the department. The contest begins on May 3, and 12 finalists will climb a tower in the race for buns at midnight on May 12. The winner will be the one who manages to snatch the largest number of buns. https://www.scmp.com/article/632305/140-aim-climb-cheung-chau-bun-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/632305/140-aim-climb-cheung-chau-bun-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:00:00 +0000 About a third of the 2,600 autistic children at primary level are studying in mainstream schools, said the Hong Kong Autism Alliance. The group, which was set up yesterday to coincide with UN World Autism Awareness Day, is an independent group of parents, volunteers and professionals. The alliance said it was important to educate teachers and students in helping autistic children to integrate into the school community. https://www.scmp.com/article/632289/alliance-urges-better-integration-autistic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/632289/alliance-urges-better-integration-autistic?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A total of 5,700 proprietary Chinese medicines that were manufactured or sold locally on or before March 1999 have secured a transitional registration with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong. Another 1,800 proprietary Chinese medicines that were released into the market after that date have been given a 'non-transitional registration' status by the council. Proprietary medicine is any product in which the active ingredient is a Chinese herb, formulated in a finished dose form for the... https://www.scmp.com/article/632070/5700-older-chinese-medicines-registered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/632070/5700-older-chinese-medicines-registered?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The Lantau cable car operation was halted for 15 minutes yesterday after technicians found car spacing was closer than normal. A spokesman said passengers were stranded in the cars, and messages were broadcast inside and outside the cabins. Service resumed at 10.25am. Meanwhile, Ngong Ping 360 Ltd chief Morris Cheung Siu-wa admitted on RTHK that the message was unclear on March 19, when 200 people were stranded for 50 minutes. https://www.scmp.com/article/631992/ngong-ping-360-fault-strands-passengers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/631992/ngong-ping-360-fault-strands-passengers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Almost half of respondents supported a ban on burning offerings during the Ching Ming Festival next month if the weather is dry and windy, an online survey has found. The Conservancy Association poll of 849 people this month also found that as many as 63 per cent of people were open to the idea of grave sweepers being required to burn offerings in a public incinerator to prevent starting hill fires. Last year, Taiwan successfully adopted a similar measure. https://www.scmp.com/article/631993/50pc-poll-agree-ban-burning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/631993/50pc-poll-agree-ban-burning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A 30-year veteran of the Immigration Department, deputy director Simon Peh Yun-lu, was appointed to the department's top post by the State Council yesterday. Mr Peh will take over from Lai Tung-kwok, 56, who is retiring, starting from April 7. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, who nominated the new chief, said yesterday: 'Mr Peh has extensive knowledge and experience in the operations and management of the department. Over the years, Mr Peh has made great efforts in enhancing the... https://www.scmp.com/article/631738/deputy-steps-top-immigration-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/631738/deputy-steps-top-immigration-post?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A doctor should no longer be required to act as witness when someone signs over control of their interests to another person, the Law Reform Commission has proposed. In a report released yesterday, the commission also proposed that the government, Law Society and non-governmental organisations promote the use of enduring powers of attorney (EPA). EPA is a legal instrument that allows a lawyer to act on behalf of a person handing over control of their affairs when that person becomes mentally... https://www.scmp.com/article/631426/bid-exempt-doctors-witness-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/631426/bid-exempt-doctors-witness-role?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Leonardo DiCaprio might be best known to his Hong Kong fans for his role in Titanic, but yesterday, on a whirlwind tour of the city to promote his award-winning environmental documentary The 11th Hour, he was thinking about a different kind of sinking ship. 'We have to realise we have a unique opportunity at this period of time in history as a world community,' DiCaprio said as he urged the world's two biggest greenhouse gas producers, the US and China, to do more for a sustainable future.... https://www.scmp.com/article/631020/activist-star-warns-titanic-ending-if-world-doesnt-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/631020/activist-star-warns-titanic-ending-if-world-doesnt-act?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's airport was expecting to handle a record 900 inbound and outbound flights yesterday. Even though Taiwan was holding its presidential election today, tour agencies said Taipei topped the list of travel destinations over the Easter weekend holiday. A spokeswoman for the Civil Aviation Department said: 'With good weather conditions and no major operational problems, about 900 flights should be landing or taking off [today]. The number would surpass our record of 891 inbound and... https://www.scmp.com/article/630843/taipei-top-choice-record-day-flights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/630843/taipei-top-choice-record-day-flights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The government said yesterday it would add wording to a clause of the Race Discrimination Bill to make the law apply to itself - but said some of its functions would still be outside the measure's scope to avoid a flood of lawsuits. Without the amendment, the bill only covered government actions comparable with those of the private sector. Now its public functions will also come under its ambit. The government has promised to add the words, 'this ordinance binds the government' to one of its... https://www.scmp.com/article/629080/race-law-applies-government-sort?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/629080/race-law-applies-government-sort?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The Cheung Kong Center removed its sign asking people to stay away from its pond yesterday, after complaints were lodged to the government that it was infringing on the public's right to use civic open space. RTHK reported yesterday that Cheung Kong's security guards did not send away people who sat or stood on the fringe of the pond. The guards also did not bar reporters from filming outside the building. The Lands Department confirmed on Thursday that it had received two complaints about the... https://www.scmp.com/article/629042/cheung-kong-takes-down-stay-away-sign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/629042/cheung-kong-takes-down-stay-away-sign?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A historic study hall in Ma Wan received only a lukewarm response when it was opened to potential operators for reuse. Only four groups asked to visit the site yesterday. This was dramatically down on about 40 visits arranged on the first day for each of the previous three historic buildings unveiled under the Development Bureau's 'Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme'. Fong Yuen Study Hall, a two- storey building erected atr least 70 years ago as the only village school... https://www.scmp.com/article/629024/inspection-historic-village-study-hall-fails-inspire-prospective-operators?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/629024/inspection-historic-village-study-hall-fails-inspire-prospective-operators?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Assets held by Hong Kong couples at the time of their divorce will be split evenly from now on - regardless of who brought them into the union - unless there are exceptional circumstances, the Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. The principle applied even when the assets brought into the marriage plainly exceeded what was needed to ensure the continued comfort of all parties, a three-judge panel said. Hong Kong's marital laws are almost exact copies of those in England and Wales. However, until... https://www.scmp.com/article/628799/50-50-split-new-starting-point-hk-divorces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/628799/50-50-split-new-starting-point-hk-divorces?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 More than 6,000 people from around the world mourn star More than 6,000 people filled the Coliseum yesterday to mourn Lydia Sum Tin-ha, whose trademark laughter entertained Hong Kong households for decades. Long-time showbusiness friends and fans from all over the world converged on the Hung Hom venue with white roses to pay tribute to a woman they said embodied the best spirit of Hong Kong people. In the first memorial service held at the Coliseum, about 15 close friends took turns praising... https://www.scmp.com/article/628418/tears-flow-friends-and-public-bid-farewell-fei-fei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/628418/tears-flow-friends-and-public-bid-farewell-fei-fei?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Lydia Sum Tin-ha's former husband was forced to break his silence after a speaker at the memorial service demanded he explain why he had not been there for her before she died. An emotional Alan Tang Kwong-wing, an actor and close friend of Sum, said during his tribute from the stage at the Coliseum that many of Sum's friends had vowed their unreserved support for her daughter, Joyce Cheng Yan-yee. 'Does she not have a father? Why does the responsibility have to go to her mother's good... https://www.scmp.com/article/628419/former-husband-under-attack-emotional-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/628419/former-husband-under-attack-emotional-service?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 There was much activity in the realm of judicial review earlier this month, with a spate of high-profile cases in one week. On February 18, a two-day judicial review over the constitutionality of the Broadcasting Authority's censure of a RTHK television show on gay lovers kicked off. On the same day, Mr Justice Michael Hartmann also threw out a legal challenge mounted by six asylum seekers, ruling that Hong Kong was not bound by the international principle against returning refugees to a... https://www.scmp.com/article/628430/hearing-impaired?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/628430/hearing-impaired?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The public's level of frustration with the government is far higher than can be gauged from everyday courtroom scenes, statistics from the Legal Aid Department show. The number of applications for legal aid for judicial reviews increased from 138 in the 2002-03 financial year to 212 in 2006-07. However, as many as 110 to 150 applications were turned down each year. For last year, the department said a total of 234 applications for aid had been lodged. But only 99 of them were approved, after the... https://www.scmp.com/article/628457/judicial-review-legal-aid-bids-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/628457/judicial-review-legal-aid-bids-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Ahead of a UN meeting in Geneva tomorrow that will discuss Hong Kong's proposed racial-discrimination legislation, lawmaker Anson Chan Fang On-sang has said the government's handling of the issue 'reflects a lack of political will'. The UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will meet to discuss Hong Kong's race discrimination bill, which was tabled for lawmakers' consideration in December 2006. Representatives from different human rights groups, Hong Kong Bar Association... https://www.scmp.com/article/628284/anson-chan-questions-political-will-race-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/628284/anson-chan-questions-political-will-race-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah's maiden budget has turned him into a star overnight and given him the highest popularity rating of any senior official. A survey on Wednesday night found his popularity rating had shot up 12 points to 67.9 per cent, surpassing the 63.3 scored earlier this week by his boss, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen. It is also higher than ratings early this month for Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung (62.2) and Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen ... https://www.scmp.com/article/628025/financial-chiefs-star-shines-bright-after-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/628025/financial-chiefs-star-shines-bright-after-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 More than 70 per cent of consumers admitted that they could have used two to three fewer plastic bags on each visit to wet markets, a survey by Greeners Action has revealed. A total of 974 people were interviewed at three wet markets last month. The survey showed they had used 2,653 plastic bags. Among the group polled, 24 per cent said they had used four bags, and 23 per cent said they had used five bags. Fifty-five per cent of the group agreed they could cut plastic bag usage. Thirty-four... https://www.scmp.com/article/627988/shoppers-admit-they-could-halve-their-use-plastic-bags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627988/shoppers-admit-they-could-halve-their-use-plastic-bags?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 'People have right to know what's on files' The privacy commissioner has proposed requiring data users to register with his office and explain why they are collecting information on people. Appearing at a public forum on privacy yesterday, Roderick Woo Bun said registering would force organisations to be more open and transparent. Under the Personal Data (Privacy Ordinance) introduced in 1996, the commissioner is empowered to require users of personal data to register. But the provisions have... https://www.scmp.com/article/627861/watchdog-urges-data-user-register?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627861/watchdog-urges-data-user-register?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Four Hong Kong firms caught up in a fraud case involving former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi were given the go-ahead yesterday to apply to the High Court for permission to cross-examine prosecutors in Italy. They claim the prosecutors illegally searched their offices last year. The Court of Appeal turned down the government's appeal against an earlier ruling by Mr Justice John Saunders that the High Court had jurisdiction to issue a letter requesting the Italian authorities allow... https://www.scmp.com/article/627797/firms-step-closer-italian-cross-examination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627797/firms-step-closer-italian-cross-examination?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Two veteran mediators embroiled in a defamation case announced in court yesterday that they had settled their dispute - through mediation. The settlement in the Court of First Instance cut short a five-day hearing that had resulted from legal action started by Helena Chan Suk-yee, former vice-chairwoman of the Mediation Council, against its chairman, Chan Bing-woon, for defamation in August 2006. Kenneth Lam Ka-yan, the counsel who read a statement for the plaintiff, said: 'They see... https://www.scmp.com/article/627752/mediators-settle-own-case-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627752/mediators-settle-own-case-mediation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A Legislative Council bills committee will consider proposing an amendment to the Race Discrimination Bill if the government continues to ignore its concerns, the committee chairwoman said yesterday. Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, who will join a delegation to Geneva early next month to attend meetings with members of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, said it would be better for the government to initiate an amendment. 'If the government continues its refusal... https://www.scmp.com/article/627554/panel-vows-push-action-race-discrimination-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627554/panel-vows-push-action-race-discrimination-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Twenty-nine ordinances enacted in or before 2004 contained provisions that have yet to be enforced, a submission by the government to the Legislative Council has shown. The paper, to be discussed at today's meeting of the administration of justice and legal services panel, showed that the oldest ordinance dated to the 1960s. The provisions of the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Ordinance require an owner of equipment to register, appoint an examiner to test it before first use and... https://www.scmp.com/article/627551/29-ordinances-passed-law-never-enforced-report-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627551/29-ordinances-passed-law-never-enforced-report-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A refugee from Congo yesterday asked the High Court to quash a government's decision to prosecute him for illegal entry before his torture claim application was concluded. Denis Chang SC, representing the applicant in the judicial review before Mr Justice Michael Hartmann, argued that the government had acted irrationally and had breached the 'non-prosecution' principle enshrined in Article 31 of the Refugee Convention. The article prohibits signatory states from penalising refugees coming from... https://www.scmp.com/article/627280/congolese-torture-claimant-takes-his-fight-high-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627280/congolese-torture-claimant-takes-his-fight-high-court?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The Bar Association will urge the United Nations to assess the Race Discrimination Bill as soon as possible to ensure it conforms to international convention. The bill, introduced in December, has been criticised for exempting many government acts. In a submission released yesterday, the Bar criticised the bill for 'an extensive array of exclusions and exceptions making many governmental and private acts not subject to its operation'. Bar chairman Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung and Lo Pui-yin, deputy... https://www.scmp.com/article/627285/bar-association-call-un-examine-discrimination-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627285/bar-association-call-un-examine-discrimination-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Bar chairman Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung and another representative from the legal body will form part of a Hong Kong delegation to meet UN members in Switzerland next month over concerns about the controversial Race Discrimination Bill. The trip will be a last-ditch effort for human rights groups to lobby for an amendment to the bill using external pressure. It will take place before Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung is due to meet Legislative Council members to... https://www.scmp.com/article/627175/bar-join-race-bill-meeting-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627175/bar-join-race-bill-meeting-un?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 City University is to offer a masters of law programme, the first of its kind, for mainland judges to provide them with training in common law and other overseas legal systems. The programme, which begins in September, will admit 30 mainland judges recommended by the National Judges College, a judges' training unit set up under the People's Supreme Court. The judges will learn how common-law judges perform legal reasoning and draft judgments and compare other legal systems with their own. They... https://www.scmp.com/article/627174/schools-soon-mainland-judges-city-university-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/627174/schools-soon-mainland-judges-city-university-course?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Celebrity photos saga prompts review call There is a 'pressing need' for the government to consider making it a criminal offence to obtain, disclose or sell personal data without consent, the privacy commissioner said yesterday. Roderick Woo Bun said his call was prompted by the leaking on the internet of sexual photographs said to be of celebrities that has scandalised the entertainment world in the past three weeks. 'The incident demonstrates clearly ... that there is a pressing need to... https://www.scmp.com/article/626888/make-data-leak-crime-privacy-chief-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/626888/make-data-leak-crime-privacy-chief-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The judiciary has urged the Bar Association to seriously consider relaxing the ban on barristers' advertising to enable public access to information on their expertise and fees. The call was echoed by welfare groups supporting potential litigants, who said that apart from the recommendation of solicitors, they had no objective basis to rely on when choosing counsel to act for them. 'The judiciary's position is that as there is plainly a public interest in encouraging reasonable trans- parency... https://www.scmp.com/article/626691/relax-ban-barristers-adverts-judiciary-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/626691/relax-ban-barristers-adverts-judiciary-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Rebel broadcaster Citizens' Radio said yesterday that the government's lack of commitment to amending a controversial law, which gives it wide powers in radio licensing, had prompted it to launch another legal challenge. Tsang Kin-shing, convenor of the radio station, said they had filed an application for a judicial review of the decision by Magistrate Douglas Yau Tak-hong to further suspend his own ruling that the Telecommunications Ordinance was unconstitutional. Mr Tsang, who with five... https://www.scmp.com/article/626688/citizens-radio-resumes-legal-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/626688/citizens-radio-resumes-legal-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Junior barristers may be hired to assist their seniors in handling cases in the Bar Council's free legal service scheme as they are finding it increasingly difficult to find work. Bar chairman Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung SC, who raised the proposal in a council meeting this month, said the aim was to increase learning opportunities and improve the livelihoods of new barristers. At present, only veteran counsel are asked to tackle pro bono, or free-of-charge, cases. But under the new scheme, a... https://www.scmp.com/article/626290/juniors-may-get-chance-work-free-legal-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/626290/juniors-may-get-chance-work-free-legal-service?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The Bar Association will launch a consultation in about two months on a proposal to require trainee barristers to pass a series of tests before they qualify to practise on their own, the association's chairman says. Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung SC said the move was aimed at strengthening quality-monitoring of barristers, whose numbers have grown from 683 in 1998 to 1,026. The focus of the Bar was on the quality rather than quantity of barristers, he said. Under the existing system, holders of a... https://www.scmp.com/article/626288/bar-ponders-compulsory-tests-trainee-barristers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/626288/bar-ponders-compulsory-tests-trainee-barristers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Bar Council acts after appeal court ruling in favour of doctors Barristers are looking into whether the ban on them advertising is against the law and should be relaxed after appeal judges ruled that a similar ban on doctors' advertising infringed their freedom of expression. Bar Association chairman Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung said the Bar Council was setting up a special committee to study the legal implications of the judgment and the extent to which barristers in other jurisdictions were allowed... https://www.scmp.com/article/626291/barristers-study-legality-advert-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/626291/barristers-study-legality-advert-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Welfare groups yesterday used the festive occasion to remind Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen that it was time to give more attention to the underprivileged as the government's coffers fill up with a multibillion-dollar surplus. About 100 families and representatives of the Society for Community Organisation marched from the Hongkong Bank headquarters in Central to Government House to protest against inadequate childcare support for working mothers. More than 1.3 million people were living... https://www.scmp.com/article/625720/share-citys-wealth-needy-marchers-urge-chief-executive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/625720/share-citys-wealth-needy-marchers-urge-chief-executive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A Consumer Council survey on the public's top 10 consumer news stories shows Hongkongers are more aware of safety issues and more focused on corporate governance. The reopening of the Ngong Ping Skyrail cable car on Lantau received 2,330 votes, topping the council's poll of the 10 most popular consumer news items in the Year of the Pig. In an accident in June last year, an empty cabin fell about 50 metres during a test on the 5.7km cable car. The cabin landed on its roof on the shrubby... https://www.scmp.com/article/625607/consumer-news-safety-governance-rates-high-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/625607/consumer-news-safety-governance-rates-high-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The first ever sighting of a yellow-billed loon in the city's waters was made late last month. The bird, which breeds in the Arctic Circle, was seen swimming in the waters off Town Island in Sai Kung on January 25, a birdwatching group said yesterday. Yu Yat-tung, water bird monitoring programme co-ordinator of the Bird Watching Society, said the species bred in the Arctic Circle and it was extremely rare to find it in a subtropical location. 'It was one of the most unique moments of my... https://www.scmp.com/article/625610/yellow-billed-loon-spotted-first-time-city-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/625610/yellow-billed-loon-spotted-first-time-city-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Another man has been arrested on suspicion of posting on the internet nude photos purportedly of local celebrities, as publicity surrounding the case began raising questions among the public about whether they could be prosecuted for downloading the images. Police said they arrested a 29-year-old man, the eighth suspect arrested in the investigation, at about 4am yesterday in Ma On Shan. They also said three men and a woman arrested last week had been released on HK$20,000 bail each. Another... https://www.scmp.com/article/625416/eighth-arrest-over-nude-postings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/625416/eighth-arrest-over-nude-postings?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 A welfare group has urged the government to allocate an extra HK$4 billion for the underprivileged in this month's budget speech but a tax expert and some legislators warned against spending that was 'too generous'. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service hopes the administration will set aside HK$1 billion in additional funding for the disabled, elderly and young children, and HK$3 billion to improve the service that is provided for them. Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah will... https://www.scmp.com/article/625462/welfare-group-seeks-extra-hk4-billion-budget-help-underprivileged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/625462/welfare-group-seeks-extra-hk4-billion-budget-help-underprivileged?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Internal guidelines on handling animal abuse cases had been issued for frontline police, commissioner Tang King-shing said yesterday. They were the first achievement of an interdepartmental taskforce set up in November involving police, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Mr Tang said the working group was set up to review police investigation at the scene of animal abuse... https://www.scmp.com/article/625026/officers-get-guide-animal-abuse-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/625026/officers-get-guide-animal-abuse-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Commissioner reports 60pc rise in domestic violence calls An average of 20 family abuse reports is filed every day, the police chief has revealed, reporting a worsening situation with almost 3,000 more cases seen last year than in the previous year. The annual crime statistics showed that domestic violence cases topped 7,509 last year - a 60 per cent increase from 2006 - of which criminal acts such as intimidation, assault and property damage contributed a third of the offences. Police... https://www.scmp.com/article/625027/police-called-3000-more-family-abuse-cases-last-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/625027/police-called-3000-more-family-abuse-cases-last-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:00:00 +0000 The fallout from the hot property market has hit Hongkong Post, with the announcement that it is closing its branch in the heart of Causeway Bay, a month after the landlord refused to renew the lease. The post office, which has been in a ground floor unit of Elizabeth House since 1992, will close on February 16. The self-financed government body said it was looking for suitable premises in the same area. It apologised for the inconvenience and said people could meanwhile use the five other post... https://www.scmp.com/article/625113/landlord-shuts-out-causeway-bay-post-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/625113/landlord-shuts-out-causeway-bay-post-office?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:00:00 +0000