The Queen v. Chow Hon Kit and Others

Read the full judgment text of HCMA 67/1990 on BabelCite. This High Court CFI judgment was delivered on 23 February 1990 before Ryan J.

1. The appellants were convicted after pleas of guilty for a charge of unlawful assembly. They applied for leave to appeal out of time against conviction which I granted. I have had an opportunity to read the papers and I agree with the Crown's concession that on the brief facts that were presented to the Magistrate, he should not have accepted the pleas of guilty. The Magistrate in his Statement of Findings very fairly concedes this. An essential elementof the charge is that the conduct of the

Legal issues: Sufficiency of facts to support guilty plea to unlawful assembly

Outcome: Appeals allowed; convictions quashed.

Case No.HCMA 67/1990
Court
High Court CFI
Date23 Feb 1990
JudgeRyan J
Case Document
100%Judiciary

HCMA000067/1990

IN TAE SUPREME COURT OF HONG KONG

(Appellate Jurisdiction)

MAGISTRACY APPEAL NO. 67 OF 1990

----------------

BETWEEN

THE QUEEN

Respondent

AND

CHOW HON KIT 1st Appellant
KWOK KAM WAH 2nd Appellant
LEUNG TAK WAI 3rd Appellant

-------------------

Coram: Hon. Ryan, J. in Court

Date of hearing: 23 February 1990

Date of delivery of judgment: 23 February 1990

-----------------

JUDGMENT

-----------------

1. The appellants were convicted after pleas of guilty for a charge of unlawful assembly. They applied for leave to appeal out of time against conviction which I granted. I have had an opportunity to read the papers and I agree with the Crown's concession that on the brief facts that were presented to the Magistrate, he should not have accepted the pleas of guilty. The Magistrate in his Statement of Findings very fairly concedes this. An essential elementof the charge is that the conduct of the appellants was intended or likely to cause any person reasonably to fear that they will commit a breach of the peace or will by such conduct provoke other persons to commit a breach of the peace. The agreed facts lacked this ingredient. Accordingly the appeals are allowed and the conviction are quashed.

(T.J. Ryan)
Judge of the High Court

Representation:

Mr Coghlan, Senior Crown Counsel, for the Crown

Mr Philip Wong, instructed by D.L.A., for 2nd Appellant

1st Appellant, CHOW Hon-kit, in person, absent

2nd and 3rd Appellants present in Court