'Not Sure If New Court Moves Can End Bias Doubts'

DAB lawmaker, Holden Chow, said on Thursday that moves by judiciary to bring more transparency into its workings is a welcome step, but said he doubts such steps will remove concerns that there is a bias in the judiciary.

Chow was talking to the media after the judiciary issued a statement earlier in the day that from now on some decisions by the District Court and Magistrates' Courts which may attract great public attention will be uploaded on to its website to enhance transparency.

The lawmaker said moves for transparency is good, but that is now what they had been asking for.

"We are asking the judiciary to respond and to take active steps to address these sort of concerns," he said.

"Raising the transparency of dealing with the complaints against judges, of course, this sort of attitude is a must. But whether it will be able to address people's concerns, I have doubts."

He said he has got feedbacks that these steps will not doubts of bias. "I have been receiving feedback from the public that their concerns have not yet been removed and people still believe that there is a kind of bias in the judiciary," said the lawmaker.

Chow also questioned whether the judiciary is having double standards in dealing with complaints against judges and magistrates.

He said that a district court judge, Kwok Wai-kin, was removed from hearing protest-related cases after he described a man who pleaded guilty to attacking a protester with a chopper of having a nobel sentiment to turn himself in.

But former Eastern Court magistrate Stanley Ho made similar judgemental descriptions against policemen in his rulings, but complaints against him were rejected.

Legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok, from the Civic Party, meanwhile welcomed the judiciary's moves, saying more transparency is always good.

He said although people from the pan-democratic camp also criticise judges, the pro-Beijing camp's systemic and large-scale attacks on the judiciary has been on another level.

Kwok described it as "a Hong Kong-style Cultural Revolution".