Lawyerless FSD Holds Up Chow Tsz-lok Inquest

A coroner investigating the death of university student Chow Tsz-lok has lashed out at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Fire Services Department (FSD) for failing to respond promptly to the discovery of new evidence.

Chow died in November last year after he was found seriously injured in a car park in Tseung Kwan O as riot police officers dispersed anti-government protesters in the area.

Police officers had told the inquest that no surveillance camera had captured the moment Chow apparently fell from height in the small hours of November 4, but the coroner, David Ko, said last week that he believed he had found such footage.

Ko then noticed that the testimony of an ambulanceman did not match time stamps on the footage and so he listed the FSD as an interested party for it to provide testimony.

But at the start of the hearing on Tuesday, a representative of the FSD told the court that it needed more time to seek legal advice from the DOJ, without specifying how much extra time it needed.

The coroner seemed to be angered by this, saying the court could not provide “infinite time” and that the DOJ should consider the urgency of the inquest.

“Is it so difficult to find a lawyer?” Ko questioned.

The FSD representative then explained that the department was caught by surprise on Monday night when it learnt that it could not be represented by the same lawyer that is representing the police. He also said that the DOJ would need some time to look at the facts of the case.

The coroner then approved the request to adjourn the inquest until next Monday.

Ko said it was definitely not ideal to further adjourn the hearing, because this may affect the jury and everyone else taking part, adding that he will decide how the inquest could continue beyond the scheduled dates next week.