15 May 2025
Event Date(s)/Period(s)
15 May 2025
Organised by:
Centre for Medical Ethics and Law
In a series of landmark decisions, Hong Kong courts have refashioned both the substantive content and procedural contours of inquests, in alignment with evolving human rights standards and societal expectations towards coronial practice. Among other developments, the courts have infused the conduct of inquests with rights-based considerations, as exemplified by the ruling in Sony Rai v. Coroner [2011] 2 HKLRD 245, and have liberalised the threshold for convening an inquest, as in Leung Shuk Ling v. Coroner [2023] 4 HKLRD 264. Together, these decisions contribute to the modernisation of Hong Kong’s coronial jurisprudence, rendering it more attuned to growing concerns about transparency, accountability and the vindication of the public interest. This seminar critically examined these developments, situating them within the broader context of the evolving role of coroners in contemporary society.
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