Hong Kong, 29 January 2018: Award-winning international barrister Edward Fitzgerald QC gave a fascinating insight into the process of criminal appeal hearings in Hong Kong and overseas when he delivered the annual HKU-Boase Cohen & Collins Criminal Law Lecture on Friday.
His talk, entitled “Criminal Appeals and New Evidence”, was given to an audience of around 200 people comprising senior figures from the legal profession, academics and students at the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law’s Moot Court auditorium.
Mr Fitzgerald traced the history of criminal appeals in the UK dating back more than a century and highlighted cases where he had acted for defendants, in jurisdictions as diverse as Trinidad and the British Virgin Islands, in successfully introducing new evidence into appeal hearings.
Boase Cohen & Collins Senior Partner Colin Cohen, who gave the welcoming address and introduced Mr Fitzgerald, hailed an illuminating and successful evening. “Edward’s talk was both insightful and compelling, as we expected from such a giant of the international legal scene, and certainly presented legal professionals, academics and students alike with plenty to contemplate,” he said.
“In partnering with HKU to present this annual Criminal Law Lecture, our vision has been to create an event that transcends academia and becomes a highlight of the Hong Kong legal calendar. With Clare Montgomery QC speaking at last year’s inaugural event and now Edward delivering such a fascinating talk this time, we have set the bar high with regard to future lectures.”
Friday’s audience included members of the Judiciary, Department of Justice, Hong Kong Bar Association and the Law Society of Hong Kong, together with students from the territory’s three law schools – HKU, Chinese University and City University. Following the talk, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Michael Hor, gave a vote of thanks and made a presentation to Mr Fitzgerald, after which guests attended a cocktail reception.
Mr Fitzgerald, Head of Doughty Street Chambers in London, was named Human Rights and Public Law Silk of the Year in 2013; Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year in 2009; Silk of the Year in 2005 and won the Times Justice Human Rights Award in 1998. He specialises in criminal law, public law, judicial review and international human rights law and has featured in numerous cases involving high-profile defendants worldwide. He was awarded the CBE in 2008 for services to human rights.