Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Oct 17, 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
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
×