Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Coronavirus lockdown a call for Hong Kong courts to radically rethink hearings

A High Court judge recently presided over Hong Kong’s first telephone hearing
The judiciary and arbitration centres must build on this initiative, which will reduce the cost of assembling participants in one place

Mr Justice Russell Coleman is to be congratulated on hearing an urgent matter on the telephone while the courts in Hong Kong are closed due to the global coronavirus risk. I hope the Hong Kong Judiciary will build on this initiative for both civil and criminal cases.

I have been puzzled for many years as to why more use is not made of modern technology when it comes to hearings in court, in arbitration or before tribunals.

In arbitration where parties, witnesses, counsel and arbitrators come from different jurisdictions, the cost of assembling all participants in one place is very expensive. Much complaint today is made of the cost of legal proceedings, whether arbitration or litigation, and I believe part of this cost can be saved by a more sensible use of video hearings.

Similarly, in civil litigation there are many procedural hearings that do not warrant attendance in person that could be dealt with by video or telephone.

I think the problem is greatest in international arbitration, of which Hong Kong is a major centre. I have arbitrated many disputes where the cost of gathering everyone in one room for days has been enormous. I have found a reluctance among lawyers to agree to the use of video hearings apart from for mere procedural matters. Such an attitude seems to me to defy a cost-benefit analysis.

In an age where artificial intelligence will soon be commonplace, technology must exist to make video hearings almost as good as face-to-face hearings. Many arbitration centres, such as the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, offer alternative solutions such as video conferencing.

However, the problem lies with the weakest link in the hook-up. More needs to be done to explore existing technologies that are known to be secure and reliable. We need to still better harmonise this technology and adapt it to the needs of arbitration hearings.

Another problem is that of time zones. This is not something that can be changed, but certainly there are many instances where reasonable times could be found to deal with certain issues.

The situation we face today is an opportunity for radical change. We need to change the way we conduct a wide range of meetings as well as hearings. Perhaps now is time for a technology pact whereby the arbitral tribunal, institutions and parties commit to considering the use of telephone or video conferencing for any hearing that would otherwise be held in person.

Mr Justice Coleman took a sensible and pragmatic approach, and I hope the judiciary and arbitration centres as well as those appearing in arbitration will take many leaves out of this book.

We need to get the message across that despite the current difficulties, we are open for business as usual and that travel to Hong Kong is not the only way to conduct business in and with Hong Kong.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
×