Full speed ahead on efforts designed to trim court backlog in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s justice system has, for decades, been plagued by long waiting times for court cases to be heard and concluded. The need for greater efficiency, while maintaining high standards, has been ever present. But the pandemic caused serious disruption.

This was compounded by a very heavy caseload from prosecutions relating to anti-government protests in 2019 and national security cases from 2020 onwards. These factors exacerbated the problem, presenting the judiciary with unprecedented challenges. The news that this backlog has now mostly been cleared and that “steady and substantial” improvements in court waiting times are expected in the years ahead is, therefore, welcome.



But there remains much work to be done. Judiciary administrator Esther Leung Yuet-yin told lawmakers 96 per cent of 2,350 protest cases and 83 per cent of 230 involving national security had been resolved. This will ease the burden and free up precious resources for other hearings.

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