Priscilia Lam SC and Ferrida Chan secured a ruling of no case to answer and acquittal of a charge of murder for D7 with costs awarded in HCCC 120/2024

In HKSAR v Lai Ka Po (D7) (HCCC 120/2024), a High Court trial involving 13 defendants facing a charge of murder, Priscilia Lam SC and Ferrida Chan represented D7. At the close of the prosecution’s case, after hearing submissions from the defence, the learned judge found that (1) there is no direct or indirect evidence of causation of death, and the circumstantial evidence is insufficient and lacking and cannot reach the inference contended for by the prosecution; (2) there is no direct or indirect evidence of a joint enterprise involving all 13 defendants that is capable of constituting sufficient circumstantial evidence to draw such an inference; and (3) the prosecution case depends entirely on an inference or inferences from primary facts and the evidence of the primary facts in this case are not of a quality permitting a jury to accept it. The learned judge therefore ruled that there was no case to answer and directed the jury to return verdicts of not guilty for all defendants. The jury accordingly acquitted all defendants.

In addition, D7 was jointly charged with the other 12 defendants with conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice. Following submissions that the Telegram messages, which formed the subject matter of the charge, were inadmissible, the Prosecution withdrew the charge.

The learned judge also ordered the Prosecution to pay the costs of D7.

See Priscilia’s profile here: https://lnkd.in/gkNtE5vF

See Ferrida’s profile here: https://lnkd.in/gVny6sXM