Lawyer Counsel Barrister Kevin C W Wong Accused of Being Late for Court and Giving False Information to Court and was Told Off by the Magistrate Ivy Chui - 大狀黃振榮被指遲到兼俾錯料遭裁判官徐綺薇訓斥

http://the-sun.on.cc/cnt/news/20150107/00412_002.html

曾任運輸工的男子失業後染上酗酒惡習，更聲稱醉後分不清眼前人是妻子還是女兒，竟在三年間三度在家對未成年的親女撫胸及私處非禮。案件昨判刑，惟控方的外聘大律師黃振榮 (Lawyer Counsel Barrister Kevin CW Wong) 除「擺烏龍」記錯判刑日子而遲到一小時外，更將明明有15個案底的被告搞錯成沒案底，遭裁判官訓斥。

裁判官徐綺薇表示，大律師黃振榮（Lawyer Counsel Barrister Kevin Wong）在案件上次審理時，錯誤指出43歲被告並無案底，但實情是被告過往有15個案底，其中在2001年更被判監四年半。黃大狀一度聲稱曾向法庭呈交被告案底的相關文件，但並無正面回應是否錯誤向法庭報告被告沒有案底。

徐官即指沒有收到有關文件，直言可即場讓黃翻聽法庭錄音記錄，又指上次若她沒為被告索閱背景報告，被告便因被視為沒有案底而接受判刑，作為主控官的大狀黃振榮 (Barrister Lawyer Counsel Kevin Wong) 實有責任查證被告的犯罪紀錄，其犯錯「Totally unacceptable（完全不可接受）」。黃振榮大律師 (Counsel Barrister Lawyer Kevin Wong) 最終就事件道歉，又指「I have egg on my face（我感到非常尷尬）」。

狎親女被告囚15月

在2011至2014年間犯案的被告，其背景報告透露他現已沒有與妻女聯絡。辯方解釋，被告已知錯。徐官指，被告妻女在案發後留下字條離家，表示已心碎，但仍寫下鼓勵字句，期望他能做個更好的人。徐官指被告原有大好家庭，他卻不懂珍惜，更將之一手摧毀，令妻女受傷害，終判其監禁15個月。

案件編號：FLCC5247/14

http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20150107/18994273

Lawyers Counsel Barristers Eric Kwok SC and Vivian Ho Sued for Serious Misconduct and Negligence - 郭棟明資深大律師及何慧嫻大律師被控嚴重失職及疏忽

Senior Counsel Eric Kwok SC and Lawyer Counsel Barrister Vivian Ho Sued for Serious Misconduct and Negligence - 資深大律師郭棟明及大律師何慧嫻被控嚴重失職及疏忽

http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20131117/00176_041.html

中原地產多名高層之前被廉政公署刑事檢控，指他們涉嫌支付非法回佣予交易客戶，眾被告○八年在區院被裁定串謀詐騙等罪成立及判囚；其中一名總經理潘志明被判囚廿二個月，他在服刑十四個月後於高院上訴得直，撤銷定罪後重返中原工作。他昨日入稟高院民事指控在原審時代表他的資深大律師郭棟明及律師行失職、疏忽及違反聘約，要求對方賠償他損失，但未有透露金額。

原告潘志明（四十九歲），事發時是中原（工商舖）商舖部總經理，現時擔任中原（工商舖）營運總監；三名被告依次是翁宗榮律師行、資深大律師郭棟明及大律師何慧嫻。

上訴庭：令原告得不到公平審訊
原告於○八年受審時，控方指他涉嫌在兩宗物業交易中詐騙中原，指其私人公司是交易介紹人，向中原申領約六十萬元介紹費後，將錢交予買家羅家寶的職員作回佣。惟上訴庭判他脫罪時指，羅家寶曾向廉署錄口供指其職員毋須批准便收取回佣；另外，中原集團主席施永青亦曾供稱，指若知收回佣者是獲僱主同意，就算同事填報的介紹人是虛假也會照批介紹費，不認為這是詐騙。

雖然原審法官在判決時批評中原此種做法，是鼓勵貪污風氣及對旗下員工的監察未夠嚴謹；惟上訴庭指，原審時若原告律師有向施永青提出羅家寶的供詞，便會成為原告沒有詐騙的有力證據；但原告律師並沒這樣做，這屬嚴重失職令原告得不到公平審訊，因此撤銷原告的定罪。

原告在入稟狀指，原審時控方在案件開審前大半年，已表明有羅家寶的供詞但不會呈堂；但被告一方卻告訴原告，羅家寶的供詞「無足輕重」而無向控方索取。另外在施永青作供後，被告一方亦無向原告解釋施的供詞對其抗辯有關鍵幫助，亦無傳召羅做辯方證人等，原告認為被告此舉屬失職。

案件編號： HCA 2221/2013
-------------------------------------------------

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1358092/centaline-property-agent-sues-law-firm-barristers-who-represented-him

A property agency manager has sued a law firm and two of its barristers (Senior Counsel Eric Kwok SC and Barrister Vivian Ho), claiming they failed in their duty to defend him against allegations that he paid kickbacks to secure a deal.

Poon Chi-ming, formerly a general manager at Centaline Commercial, was convicted in June 2008 of two counts of conspiracy to defraud in the District Court and jailed for 22 months.

The ruling was overturned on appeal and he was released after spending 14 months in jail.

Poon, now chief operating officer of Centaline Commercial, filed the High Court writ on Friday against the law firm, Simon C.W. Yung & Co, and the barristers, Eric Kwok SC and Vivian Ho.

Poon and two other agents were found guilty of conspiring to deceive Centaline into paying HK$600,000 in kickbacks to a private company in two transactions between 2005 and 2006. They had claimed the money was paid as referral fees to an employee of a company buying a commercial property.

Lawyers Counsel Barristers Eric Kwok SC and Vivian Ho represented Poon in the District Court trial.

Poon hired another legal team to represent him on appeal. The Court of Appeal ruled in his favour and quashed his conviction in March 2010. Poon was released after spending 14 months in jail.

The appeal court judges found that the Barristers Eric Kwok SC and Vivian Ho had failed to make good use of a witness statement, meaning Poon missed out on a fair trial.

The statement was made by billionaire Law Kar-po, the boss of the company which was buying the property. Law told the Independent Commission Against Corruption that he had known about the deal and allowed his employee to accept the referral fees from the property agent.

The statement had been given to Poon's lawyers before the trial.

The appeal court found the defence counsel Barristers Eric Kwok SC and Vivian Ho had failed to use the statement when questioning Centaline chairman Shih Wing-ching. Shih was a witness in the trial and testified that if he knew the firm had agreed to the employee receiving referral fees, it would have paid the commission and not felt it had been deceived.

In the writ, Poon claims that Lawyers Counsel Barristers Eric Kwok SC and Vivian Ho, and the law firm Simon C Y Yung & Co Solicitors, failed to appreciate that Law's statement contained crucial evidence.

He also says they failed to instruct Poon to call Law and other related parties as defence witnesses.

--------------------------------------------------
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20131117/18511708

中原工商舖營運總監潘志明，因涉提供非法回佣，08年被判監22個月。潘其後就定罪提出上訴，上訴庭當時批評原審辯方律師嚴重失職，故判他上訴得直推翻定罪，但潘已白坐冤獄14個月。潘志明指控原審時代表他的資深大律師等律師團疏忽失職，日前入稟高等法院向他們索償。

涉疏忽失職累事主判囚

於案發時任職中原工商舖總經理的潘志明（50歲），昨表示案件已進入法律程序，不便作出回應。而三名被告則為翁宗榮律師行、資深大律師郭棟明，及大律師何慧嫻。郭昨表示不予回應。

入稟狀指，三名被告代表潘志明在該宗串謀詐騙案進行辯護，但他們疏忽失職，未有留意證人羅家寶的供詞，對潘的辯護起關鍵作用，在審訊中沒有引用羅的供詞，或傳召羅作辯方證人。

潘志明涉嫌在兩宗物業交易中，騙取中原向買家代表發放60多萬元佣金。

上訴庭曾指，辯方代表律師嚴重失職，未有提及買家代表的僱主羅家寶，曾表示准許員工收取回佣的證供，即收回佣行為是合法的。而中原主席施永青，在原審時亦表示只要是對公司有利，而買家的僱主是容許收回佣，亦不算詐騙中原。

案件編號：HCA2221/13

Lawyer Counsel Barrister Michael Yin Convicted - 殷志明大律師罪成

http://the-sun.on.cc/cnt/news/20141224/00412_003.html

張奧偉爵士大律師事務所的殷志明大律師 (Lawyer Counsel Barrister Michael Yin of Sir Oswald Cheung's Chambers)，於今年五月十六日，在中環新世界大廈停車場入口駕車右轉時，與另一輛正駛離停車場的私家車發生輕微碰撞，兩輛車的左邊車頭位置都被刮花。殷事後被控一項不小心駕駛罪，殷否認控罪，案件經審訊後，東區法院昨裁定殷罪成，判罰款二千五百元。

http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20141224/00176_082.html

http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/expressnews/20141223/news_20141223_55_1063677.htm

http://paper.wenweipo.com/2014/12/24/HK1412240043.htm

Widow of Hong Kong Court of Appeal Judge Dennis Barker JA Sought To Sell Judicial Robes to Pay for a Headstone

http://www.scmp.com/article/78191/judges-robes-be-sold

South China Morning Post, 18 June 1994

FORMER Appeal Court judge Dennis Barker left so many debts, his widow is having to sell his robes to pay for a headstone for his grave.

Jeanne Barker told the South China Morning Post from her home in Cyprus that a friend would give the robes to the Chief Justice, Sir Ti Liang Yang, in the hope they may be sold to raise funds.

She said the grave in the Paphos cemetery had not been paid for and 2,000 Cyprus pounds (HK$30,940) was needed for the space in the ground and a headstone.

''I do hope someone will buy the robe. I can't lay him to rest until it is all over,'' she said.

Barker, 63, died in a car accident in Cyprus in November 1989. They had been married for less than four months when he died.

Barker had retired to Cyprus after resigning from Hong Kong's judiciary in disgrace following his ruling that six defendants in the territory's costliest trial, the Carrian case, had no case to answer. The decision was severely criticised on appeal.

''I'm desperately unhappy about his grave,'' Mrs Barker said.

''I have planted a tree on the mound which is growing well, but all the other graves have a stone.

''There is a cross to mark his grave, but his name was spelt wrongly. I do want him to have a stone. I have already chosen one. I don't want to make a lot of money from the robes, just enough to pay for the stone.'' She said the former Chief Justice, Sir Denys Roberts, who also has a home in Cyprus, was helping her sell Barker's other wigs and robes which could be worn in other jurisdictions. The robe coming back to Hong Kong was specially made for Court of Appeal judges in the territory.

''It's very sad, and hard to believe, that he should have been a judge for all those years and there is nothing in his estate,'' she said.

The house in Paphos has been put on the market, together with the furniture and a 1978 Rolls-Royce.

http://www.joc.com/hong-kong-acquits-defendants-costly-carrian-fraud-case_19870915.html

Lawyer Counsel Barrister Albert Luk Accused of Dereliction of Duty - 陸偉雄大律師被指失職

http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20150126/53373253

警司黃冠豪被指在2011年，出任灣仔分區指揮官期間，收受區內一間未領有酒牌的火鍋店提供4,000元飲食折扣及威士忌，被裁定公職人員行為失當罪成，判囚一年。黃今提上訴，指原審時代表他的大狀陸偉雄 (Lawyer Albert Luk) 出錯，例如錯誤同意帳單內容、未有就帳單盤問證人等。

原審時代表黃的大律師陸偉雄 (Barrister Albert Luk) 今出庭接受盤問，指當時是與控方同意有關帳單的檢取及呈堂，但並不是同意帳單的內容，承認在此有進步的空間。主審上訴的暫委法官則指應有很大的進步空間。

陸偉雄又解釋，沒有就帳單盤問證人，是怕證人的答應太負面，故安排由黃自辯時交代有關情況，並指盤問的問題不是由他一人作主，黃、黃的友人及律師均有份擬定問題。但胡法官則指，若不盤問證人，便不能指證人說謊，這令原審法官在判刑時認為案情嚴重，會陷法官於不義.

http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20150126/bkn-20150126134655264-0126_00822_001.html

前灣仔分區指揮官、警司黃冠豪被指明知相熟火鍋店未領酒牌，仍拉大隊光顧，並接受對方折扣及贈酒，早前於東區法院被裁定公職人員行為失當罪成，判監1年。

今日黃就定罪及刑罰向原訟法庭上訴，上午先就定罪上訴中，指其原審大狀陸偉雄失職的指控，傳召陸到庭作供。黃的代表律師指，陸在審訊時，不應同意讓涉案帳單呈堂，並任由控方就單上的手寫內容發問。

http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20150127/19017973

上訴一方的重點是，陸偉雄大律師 (Counsel Albert Luk) 應就涉案賬單真確性盤問證人，也不能承認賬單真確，但陸偉雄大律師 (Lawyer Albert Luk) 不但沒盤問證人，也以控辯雙方同意案情的書面形式，接納賬單真確；而賬單上有「酬謝黃司飯宴」手寫字句，屬不能呈堂的傳聞證供，陸偉雄大律師 (Barrister Albert Luk) 又沒提出反對，結果原審裁判官判刑時，便基於賬單上的字句，重囚黃冠豪。陸偉雄大律師 (Counsel Albert Luk)解釋，不時與事務律師、黃冠豪及黃的友人開會，經商討後按黃冠豪指示行事，沒有自把自為，「佢唔係普通人，好多意見，熟悉法律程序」。

陸偉雄大律師 (Lawyer Albert Luk) 指辯方的立場一直是不承認賬單真確，只是承認賬單被撿取及呈堂，但審訊時事出倉促，沒在文件上清楚寫明，陸坦言「有進步空間」，暫委法官胡國興則揶揄「好大進步空間」。胡官認為，辯方若不挑戰賬單真確性，「一半唔使打」，「讀到三年班都知道，大數減細數就係折扣」。

案件編號：HCMA 366 / 2013