The Prosecutions Division of the Department of Justice (DoJ) today (June 17) released its annual report, "Prosecutions Hong Kong 2023" (www.doj.gov.hk/en/publications/yrreviewpd2023.html), which reviews the DoJ's prosecution work for the year 2023.
All prosecutorial decisions made by the DoJ are based on the law, the evidence and the Prosecution Code. Prosecutors do not consider, and would not be influenced by, irrelevant considerations such as political or individual interests, possible media or public reaction and personal feelings or beliefs of the prosecutors.
In the Director's Overview, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Maggie Yang, also stressed the importance of prosecutorial independence and pointed out that Article 63 of the Basic Law stipulates that the DoJ shall control criminal prosecutions free from any interference. She said that the Prosecutions Division's prosecutors will continue to deliver justice with integrity and discharge their entrenched duty with humility and dignity.
Apart from setting out the important achievements made by the Prosecutions Division in 2023, which include the establishment of a dedicated subdivision specialising in handling technology crime cases, this latest review also gives a detailed account of the key cases handled by each subdivision of the Prosecutions Division.
Ends/Monday, June 17, 2024