{"id":"court_ctb_1409_18","court":"CTB","case_no":"22-50073","doc_number":1409,"sub_number":18,"doc_type":"JUDGMENT","filed_date":null,"title":"PRACTICE DIRECTION - 36 Handing Down of Reserved Judgments in the High Court","summary_zh":null,"summary_en":null,"body_en":"# **PRACTICE DIRECTION - 36**\n\n# **Handing Down of Reserved Judgments in the High Court**\n\n1. This Practice Direction is aimed at ensuring that reserved judgments are handed down as expeditiously as is reasonably practicable having regard to the circumstances of the case, including its nature and complexity, and the other commitments of the court. It applies to all cases before the Court of Appeal, the Court of First Instance and the Masters, except non‑refoulement claims and related matters.\n\n2. For present purposes, judgments and reserved judgments include judgments reserved after oral hearings and reasons for judgment, and judgments for paper applications.\n\n3. With effect from 6 June 2022, all reserved judgments will be handed down within the timeframes set out below.\n\n## **A. Court of Appeal**\n\n### **A1. Civil appeals**\n\n4. For all oral hearings, judgment will be handed down within 6 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n5. For all paper applications, judgment will be handed down within\n\n6 months from the date that a judge is assigned to handle the case. The clerk of the handling judge will notify the parties in writing that the judge has been assigned to handle the case as at the date stated.\n\n6. For applications for leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal, judgment will be handed down within 3 months after the close of the parties' submissions or where there is an oral hearing, within 3 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n### **A2. Criminal appeals**\n\n7. For all oral hearings before a single judge, judgment will be handed down within 3 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n8. For all oral hearings before the full bench (including a two-member court), judgment will be handed down within 6 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n9. For bail applications, the court should ordinarily be able to deliver judgment at the conclusion of the hearing. If the court reserves judgment or gives judgment with reasons for judgment to be handed down, judgment or reasons for judgment will be handed down within 14 days after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n10. For applications for leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal or other miscellaneous applications, judgment will be handed down within 3 months after the close of the parties' submissions or where there is an oral hearing,\n\n3 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n## **B. Court of First Instance**\n\n### **B1. Civil cases**\n\n11. For trials and substantive applications, such as the substantive hearing of an originating summons, judicial reviews and tribunal appeals, which last for less than 15 days, judgment will be handed down within 6 months after the conclusion of the hearing. 2\n\n12. For trials and substantive applications which last for 15 days or more, judgment will be handed down within 9 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n13. For interlocutory applications, judgment will be handed down within 3 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n14. For paper applications, judgment will be handed down within 3 months after the close of the parties' submissions.\n\n### **B2. Criminal cases**\n\n15. For magistracy appeals and all other applications (other than bail), judgment will be handed down within 3 months after the close of the parties' submissions or where there is an oral hearing, within 3 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n16. For bail applications, paragraph 9 above applies.\n\n#### **C. Masters**\n\n17. While masters are expected to be able to deliver judgment at the conclusion of the hearing for a contested matter, in the event that judgment has to be reserved, the judgment will be handed down within 3 months after the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n18. For assessment of damages, judgment will be handed down within 6 months of the conclusion of the hearing.\n\n#### **D. Fixing the handing down date**\n\n19. When reserving judgment after an oral hearing, the court must at the same time fix the actual handing down date of the judgment in accordance with the timeframes set out above.\n\n20. For paper applications or disposals, the court will notify the parties in writing of the actual handing down date once a judge has been assigned to handle the matter or immediately after the close of the parties' submissions, as the case may be.\n\nDated this 20th day of May 2022.\n\n(Andrew Cheung) Chief Justice","body_zh":"实务指引 - 36\n在 High Court（高等法院）宣读押后判决书\n\n1. 本实务指引旨在确保在顾及案件具体情况（包括其性质及复杂程度）以及法院的其他工作安排下，押后判决书在合理切实可行范围内尽快宣读。本指引适用于 Court of Appeal（上诉法庭）、Court of First Instance（原讼法庭）及 Masters（聆案官）席前审理的所有案件，但免遣返声请及相关事宜除外。\n\n2. 就本指引而言，判决书及押后判决书包括口头聆讯后押后宣布的判决书及判决理由书，以及书面申请的判决书。\n\n3. 自 2022年6月6日 起生效，所有押后判决书均须在以下规定的时间表内宣读。\nA. 上诉法庭\nA1. 民事上诉\n\n4. 对于所有口头聆讯，判决书将在聆讯结束后的 6 个月内宣读。\n\n5. 对于所有书面申请，判决书将在指定法官处理该案之日起的 6 个月内宣读。主审法官的书记官将以书面形式通知各方当事人，该法官已在注明的日期获指定处理该案件。\n\n6. 对于向上诉终审法院提出上诉许可的申请，判决书将在各方当事人提交陈词结束后的 3 个月内宣读；若设有口头聆讯，则在聆讯结束后的 3 个月内宣读。\nA2. 刑事上诉\n\n7. 对于在单方法官席前进行的所有口头聆讯，判决书将在聆讯结束后的 3 个月内宣读。\n\n8. 对于在合议庭（包括两名成员组成的法庭）席前进行的所有口头聆讯，判决书将在聆讯结束后的 6 个月内宣读。\n\n9. 对于保释申请，法院通常应能在聆讯结束时作出判决。如果法院押后判决或在作出判决时附带日后宣读判决理由书，则判决书或判决理由书将在聆讯结束后的 14 天内宣读。\n\n10. 对于向上诉终审法院提出上诉许可的申请或其他杂项申请，判决书将在各方当事人提交陈词结束后的 3 个月内宣读；若设有口头聆讯，则在聆讯结束后的 3 个月内宣读。\nB. 原讼法庭\nB1. 民事案件\n\n11. 对于审讯及实质性申请（例如原诉传票的实质性聆讯、司法复核及裁判官上诉），凡持续少于 15 天的，判决书将在聆讯结束后的 6 个月内宣读。\n\n12. 对于持续 15 天或以上的审讯及实质性申请，判决书将在聆讯结束后的 9 个月内宣读。\n\n13. 对于中间申请，判决书将在聆讯结束后的 3 个月内宣读。\n\n14. 对于书面申请，判决书将在各方当事人提交陈词结束后的 3 个月内宣读。\nB2. 刑事案件\n\n15. 对于裁判法院上诉及所有其他申请（保释除外），判决书将在各方当事人提交陈词结束后的 3 个月内宣读；若设有口头聆讯，则在聆讯结束后的 3 个月内宣读。\n\n16. 对于保释申请，适用上文第 9 段。\nC. 聆案官\n\n17. 虽然预期聆案官能够在争议性事项的聆讯结束时作出判决，但在必须押后判决的情况下，判决书将在聆讯结束后的 3 个月内宣读。\n\n18. 对于损害赔偿的评估，判决书将在聆讯结束后的 6 个月内宣读。\nD. 确定宣读日期\n\n19. 在口头聆讯后押后判决时，法院必须同时根据上述规定的时间表确定宣读判决书的具体日期。\n\n20. 对于书面申请或处置，法院将在指定法官处理该事项后，或在各方当事人提交陈词结束后（视具体情况而定），立即以书面形式通知各方当事人实际的宣读日期。\n\n日期：2022年5月20日。\n\n（Andrew Cheung（张举能））Chief Justice（首席法官）","key_entities":[],"ecf_references":[],"word_count":731,"status":"published","published_at":null,"created_at":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-23 12:27:52"}