Read the full judgment text of HCCT 29/2013 on BabelCite. This 高等法院原訟法庭 judgment was delivered on 14 January 2016 before Hon Anthony Chan J.
Construction and arbitration proceedings between CHUN WO BUILDING CONSTRUCTION LIMITED and METTA RESOURCES LIMITED concerning the admissibility of approximately 1,625 pages of witness statements. The court addressed numerous categories of objections including hearsay, relevance, opinion, expert evidence, and argumentative statements. It held that evidential issues generally should be resolved during trial except for specified exceptions where evidence disclosed sensitive information or was irrelevant and prejudicial. The court emphasized that objections mostly went to weight rather than admissibility and warned against disproportionate interlocutory challenges to voluminous evidence. Several specified items of evidence were ordered to be struck out to reduce prejudice and avoid unnecessarily expanding the scope of dispute. This interlocutory decision aims to streamline the trial process and uphold expeditious resolution of disputes in construction litigation. Counsel for Chun Wo were Mr Peter Clayton SC and Mr Jonathan Wong of J Chan, Yip, So & Partners; counsel for Metta were Mr John Scott SC and Mr Anthony HK Chan of Hogan Lovells.
Legal issues: Admissibility of evidence · Hearsay evidence rule application · Exceptions where evidence was struck out
Outcome: Most evidential objections dismissed and to be dealt with at trial; specified evidential parts struck out.
Cites 2 cases