Chiu Chi Ming v. The Queen

Read the full judgment text of CACC 1087/1980 on BabelCite. This Court of Appeal judgment.

1. Chiu Chi-ming you were convicted on two accounts of obtaining property by deception and you were sentenced to two years imprisonment on each charge concurrently. The magistrate who tried you initially was satisfied beyond any reasonable doubt that the evidence given by the witnesses for the prosecution was true. However, the magistrate reviewed the evidence and himself expressed a number of doubts arising from the evidence by the convictions might not be sustainable. Mr. Alderdice, who appear

Case No.CACC 1087/1980
Court
Court of Appeal
Date
Judge
Case Document
100%Judiciary

CACC001087/1980

IN THE SUPREME COURT  
   
  Criminal Appeal
  1980 No. 1087

BETWEEN    
  CHIU CHI MING Appellant
  and  
  THE QUEEN Respondent

Coram: Barker, J. in Court

Date of Judgment: 29th January, 1981.

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JUDGMENT

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1. Chiu Chi-ming you were convicted on two accounts of obtaining property by deception and you were sentenced to two years imprisonment on each charge concurrently. The magistrate who tried you initially was satisfied beyond any reasonable doubt that the evidence given by the witnesses for the prosecution was true. However, the magistrate reviewed the evidence and himself expressed a number of doubts arising from the evidence by the convictions might not be sustainable. Mr. Alderdice, who appears for the Crown, has very properly said that if the magistrate now has doubts about the matter he could not seek to support these convictions and having read the papers, with that view I entirely agree. The only question which has exercised my mind is whether in those circumstances I ought to order a retrial or to quash your convictions. In view of the fact that no fresh evidence is available and therefore the evidence would be given by the same witnesses I am of the view that it would not be proper to order a retrial and I accordingly quash both convictions and allow the appeal.

Representation:

Sujanani (D.L.A.) for Appellant

Alderdice for Crown/Respondent