Department of Accountancy, Economics and Finance GTSU2017 Law and Humanities Court Visit Report Student Name: Komail Tabakhi Student Number: 21220999 Section Number: 1 Date/Time of Court Visit: 24/11/2023 10:00 am 1. The name and location of the court you visit: High Court - The Court of Appeal Court No.2 (3/F), 38 Queensway, Hong Kong 2. The jurisdiction of that Court: By virtue of the Ordinance, the Court of Appeal hears appeals on criminal and civil matters from the District Court, the Court of First Instance, the Competition Tribunal, the Lands Tribunal, and numerous Tribunals and statutory organisations. 3. A description of the Judge sitting in that case: Hon Au JA (Justice of Appeal) Jon F.Lam JA (Justice of Appeal) Hon Anthony Chan (Justice) 4. A general description of the case you hear in the courtroom: Case No: CACV431/2022 (1st day of trial; 1 day alotted for the hearing) Parties: Tang Gang, Yu Qiongqiong, Tang Qiang, Tang Xiaolei And Wong Sai Chung Offences/Nature: Civil Appeal Representation: H.Y. Leung & Co. LLP 5. Is there anything which confused you during the trial? Bowing to the judges and jury before taking a seat and leaving the courtroom was one thing that initially confused me before I entered and left the room. I had no idea that I would need to bow down to the judges in order to behave with the appropriate deference when I first walked into the courtroom. I bowed down after that and left the courtroom. I couldn't understand why the judges had to wear amusing-looking hats either. The legal arguments made by the solicitors and judges during the trial were presented in a sophisticated English-based system that I needed to familiarize myself with. The fact that every person in the courtroom had a very high degree of English language proficiency surprised me. In fact, I had to pay close attention to what everyone in the courtroom was saying before I could understand them. The vast amount of devices and monitors in the courtroom also astonished me. I have seen a good number of films that feature courtroom scenes and acts of the common law. However, there is virtually little usage of technology in these films. The judges do not typically face a lot of monitors. I was so confused as to why each person in the courtroom was dependent on an electronic gadget. The fact that material is readily available does, in my opinion, enhance court proceedings. The reason there were multiple luggage in the courtroom also baffled me. I figured that for the civil appeal case, the attorneys and solicitors would bring an enormous amount of paperwork to document the case. In conclusion, the entire proceedings of the courtroom were confusing. I had no clue what the civil appeal case was really about except for the fact that it had something to do with the clash of China’s law system. 6. What impressed you most during this court visit tour? The fact that everyone in the courtroom could understand each other's English has to be what impressed me most about this court visit tour. Until I heard the judges and barristers speak English at a high level, I thought my English was fairly good. I was also impressed by how much respect each person in the courtroom had for the others. Everybody who left the courtroom bowed down towards the judges, and the legal arguments were presented in a very polite manner. Solicitors and barristers could recall details of cases with extreme clarity and could raise points of dispute at any time. They also brought an incredible amount of paperwork related to the legal case. 7. Any other observations or reflections? An observation that I made was the Judiciary Hierarchy. Respect is shown for the judge's authority as they preside over the proceedings. Attorneys and Barristers make their cases, and witnesses, defendants, and other participants play their parts.The attorneys also made an effort to persuade the judge with their specific arguments by referencing prior court rulings and utilising legal terminology and ideas. Another observation I made was the unique physical layout of the courtroom. The lawyers had their own designated areas to present their cases, and the judges were positioned on an elevated platform. I made an effort to figure out the witness stand in this case even though there were none. There were enough seats in the public seating area, which was set apart from the main activities. It was also noted that certain arguments and evidence were presented using digital displays. Unfortunately, there were only two jurors in this civil appeal case. There was also one court reporter who created an official written record of the proceedings. In conclusion, I would never have had the chance to visit a courtroom, so it was a unique experience for me. Traditional design features in the courtroom included wood-panelled walls with Hong Kong's national emblem imprinted on them. In my opinion, it established an atmosphere of authority and improved the courtroom's perceived courtesy and comfort from the perspective of the legal system.
