Abby Choi case set for jury selection Thursday
AM730 · 12 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago6 MIN
Summary
Pre-trial proceedings in the Abby Choi Tin-fung case continued at the High Court on Wednesday, with the court set to select a jury on Thursday morning. The trial is expected to run for 45 days before Deputy High Court Judge Brian Keith and a jury, after the court spent the first three days dealing with legal issues before empanelling jurors. Reporting restrictions remain in force over the pre-jury hearings, and the court has also barred publication of information that could identify Choi’s four children. Public interest has remained high, with overflow courtrooms opened and attendance ranging from more than 100 people on the first day to about 30 on later hearings.
Key Points
- The three defendants are Kwong Kong-kit (鄺港傑), Kwong Kau (鄺球) and Kwong Kong-chi (鄺港智), charged with murder and preventing lawful burial of Abby Choi Tin-fung (蔡天鳳).
- The charges allege Choi was murdered on 21 February 2023 at G/F, 56B Lung Mei Tsuen, Tai Po, and her body was unlawfully withheld from burial between 21 and 23 February 2023.
- The High Court first opened proceedings on 21 September, but did not formally begin jury selection that day because legal procedures still had to be handled.
- The Judiciary had said an overflow courtroom would be opened without ticket distribution, and on the opening day additional overflow space was added on another floor because seats filled up.
- On Wednesday, Choi’s father again attended court, while about 30 members of the public were present, and the court said jury selection would take place on Thursday morning.
Why It Matters
The case remains one of Hong Kong’s most closely watched criminal trials, and the court’s handling of overflow seating, anonymity orders and reporting limits shows how the justice system is balancing open justice with trial fairness. For Hong Kong readers, the next procedural milestone is the start of jury selection, which will move the case from restricted pre-trial argument into the formal trial stage.