HKSAR v. CHAN PUI MUN

CACC 514/2006

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF APPEAL

criminal APPEAL NO. 514 OF 2006

(ON APPEAL FROM DCCC No. 543 of 2006 )

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J U D G M E N T

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Hon Yeung JA (giving the judgment of the Court):

1.  On 20 May 2008, this court dismissed the applicant’s application for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence.

2.  The applicant now applies to us for a certificate under section 32(2) of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance.

3.  The two points of law, which are said to be of great and general importance, are as follows:

(1)  Whether evidence solely from the victim named in the charge sheet relating to other criminal act/conduct committed by the accused against him but not tried is admissible in law as similar fact evidence?

(2)  Whether the victim’s character was put in issue by the defence where it was put in cross-examination that the victim might be injured by dubious people had had mixed with?

4.  The admission of relevant evidence as similar fact evidence and the question of whether the defence had put the character of the witness in issue to justify the admission of evidence of his good character are facts-sensitive issues, and very often involve an element of discretion, as established by leading authorities, including decisions of the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong.

5.  We had also made clear in our judgment that the evidence relating to the other assaults was relevant to other issues raised by the defence, namely why the victim put up with the applicant’s conduct and his extensive injuries, which could not be explained simply by the 14 charges in question. (See paragraphs 65, 66, 86, 95 and 96 of the judgment)

6.  We fail, in the circumstances, to see how it could be appropriate to grant a certificate under section 32(2) of the Court of Final Appeal Ordinance. Accordingly, the application is dismissed.