Chief Justice finds that paper committal in sex offences case unlawful

Chief Justice Ian Chang

Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang last Friday said that paper committals under the Sexual Offences Act are unlawful as the accused is given no opportunity to defend him or herself in the Magistrate’s Court which is a breach of one’s constitutional rights.

“Surely a hearing cannot be fair if the accused can lead no evidence in response to evidence adduced by the prosecution”, Justice Chang said in handing down the landmark ruling that it likely to