Senior judicial appointment: non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, has accepted the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission (JORC) on the appointment of the Honourable Sir Terence Arnold as a non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal. Subject to the endorsement of the Legislative Council, the Chief Executive will make the appointment under Article 88 of the Basic Law and section 9 of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance (Cap. 484).
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee. Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Mr Lee said, "I am pleased to accept the JORC's recommendation on the appointment of Sir Terence Arnold as a non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal. Sir Terence Arnold retired from the judicial office of Permanent Judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, New Zealand's final court of appeal, in April 2017. He is a judge of eminent standing and reputation. I am confident that he will contribute substantively to the Court of Final Appeal.
"With the appointment of Sir Terence Arnold, the list of non-permanent judges from other common law jurisdictions will consist of six eminent judges from the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The presence of these esteemed overseas jurists as non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal is a manifestation of the independence of the Judiciary in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as protected by the Basic Law. Their participation demonstrates a high degree of confidence in the HKSAR's judicial system, and enables Hong Kong to maintain strong links with other common law jurisdictions. I am fully confident that these distinguished jurists from overseas with profound judicial experience will remain as a unique strength of the HKSAR's judicial system."
Article 90 of the Basic Law and section 7A of the Ordinance provide that the Chief Executive shall obtain the endorsement of the Legislative Council on the appointment of judges of the Court of Final Appeal. The Government will seek the endorsement of the Legislative Council of the recommended appointment in due course.
Sir Terence Arnold. Photo source: chambers.co.nz
Light Public Housing enters new phase of circulation: applications now open for all projects
The Housing Bureau (HB) today (October 16) announced that with the Light Public Housing (LPH) entering a new phase of circulation, all 13 LPH projects are open for application from today.
With the last two LPH projects, namely the new projects converted from school premises at Shun Lee Tsuen Road, Kwun Tong, and Chuk Yuen Road, Wong Tai Sin (providing a total of about 210 units), set to be completed progressively in the first quarter of next year, all 13 LPH projects will then be fully completed. The other 11 projects are Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long; Choi Hing Road, Ngau Tau Kok; Choi Shek Lane, Kowloon Bay; Tsing Fuk Lane, Tuen Mun; Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak; Sheung On Street, Chai Wan; Yan Po Road, Tuen Mun; Tsing Fat Street, Tuen Mun; Hang Kwong Street, Ma On Shan; Shun On Road, Kwun Tong; and Choi Yuen Road, Sheung Shui.
Eligible applicants will receive the application forms by post sent by the HB in batches starting today. Application forms submitted on or before November 6 will be handled with priority. Those who have submitted an application form previously do not need to reapply. As all LPH projects have now been launched, the HB will continue to keep all projects open for applications from eligible persons after November 6.
About 30 000 units completed ahead of target; unit circulation benefits families in need
A spokesman for the HB said, "Under the direction of the HB, all approximately 30 000 LPH units will be completed by the end of March next year, taking just over four years to accomplish, ahead of the five-year construction target set out in the 2022 Policy Address. Applications for LPH have received an overwhelming response since opening, with over 44 900 applications received as of late September. With full intake achieved at a number of projects, some residents have successfully moved into traditional public rental housing (PRH), resulting in turnover of units. These vacated units will then be allocated to other families with urgent housing needs. LPH offers affordable rent, comprehensive ancillary services and a better living environment, continuously providing sufficient housing options for families with urgent housing needs, including those residing in subdivided units (SDUs).
Far superior to inadequate housing; apply early to improve living conditions
The spokesman added, "The 13 projects are located across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, each varying in scale and featuring its own merits. With all projects now open, we believe that they can well cater for the diverse needs of different applicants. More importantly, the living environment and ancillary facilities of all LPH projects are far superior to any inadequate housing, such as substandard SDUs. Eligible residents can also apply for the Trial Scheme on Special Allowance for Households of LPH funded by the Community Care Fund, which provides one-off special allowances ranging from $1,950 to $13,000. This allowance aims to alleviate the financial pressure of relocation and community adaption, such as children's school transfer, furniture and appliance purchase, and re-establishment of social networks. We estimate that the beneficiary residents will save over $7.55 billion in total expenditure over five years. The affordable rent of LPH will considerably alleviate the rental burden on grassroots families, enabling them to reallocate their savings towards other meaningful purposes. This will not only bring immediate improvements to their personal and family life, but also facilitate their long-term planning. In addition, subject to actual circumstances, project operators will actively provide a range of daily ancillary facilities, such as 24-hour self-service laundries, catering facilities, convenience stores, fresh provision shops, hair salons, study rooms and activity rooms. A variety of services and activities will also be provided, including community tours, employment counselling and assistance, school transfer support, child care services and homework guidance, mobile Chinese medicine clinics and festive events. These initiatives are designed to help residents seamlessly transition into the new environment and familiarise themselves with the neighbouring communities. We urge eligible members of the public in need to submit their applications as soon as possible."
Application details
Details of the LPH application are as follows:
(1) Eligibility for priority application: General applicants for traditional PRH (i.e., families of two or more persons and elderly one-person applicants) who have been on the waiting list for three years or more will be given priority. Eligible persons will receive their application forms by post from the HB in batches.
(2) Application period: Completed application forms submitted on or before November 6 will be processed with priority.
(3) Continuous application: The HB will continue to keep all projects open for applications from eligible persons after November 6.
(4) Submission methods: Interested applicants may return their completed application forms by post to the Dedicated Team on Light Public Housing of the Housing Bureau (P.O. Box 28222, Gloucester Road Post Office, Wan Chai, Hong Kong); or by depositing them into drop-in boxes during office hours (from 9am to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays, except Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) at the following locations:
• Light Public Housing Information Counter at Podium Level 2, Hong Kong Housing Authority Customer Service Centre, 3 Wang Tau Hom South Road, Kowloon
• Office of the Dedicated Team on Light Public Housing at Room 801, 8/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Alternatively, if the applicant and all family members have registered for "iAM Smart+", they may choose to complete, sign and submit an electronic form by scanning the exclusive QR code pre-printed on the application form.
The HB will process the application forms received and make arrangements for the allocation as soon as possible. To ensure families with greater need are prioritised, higher allocation priority will be given to applicants who are currently living in inadequate housing, have special medical conditions, or have family members who are minor children, newborn babies, elderly persons, etc.
Information on the two new LPH projects is as follows:
(1) Shun Lee Tsuen Road, Kwun Tong (converted from school premises): Providing about 110 units (including units for one to two persons and three to four persons), about a five-minute walk to Shun Tin Bus Terminus, which provides various franchised bus and minibus routes to/from Choi Hung MTR Station and different districts across Hong Kong and Kowloon. The estimated monthly rent ranges from about $1,390 to $2,670 (Note).
(2) Chuk Yuen Road, Wong Tai Sin (converted from school premises): Providing about 100 units (including units for one to two persons, three to four persons and four to five persons), about a five-minute walk to the bus stop and minibus stop at Chuk Yuen Road, which provide various franchised bus and minibus routes to/from Wong Tai Sin MTR Station and different districts across Hong Kong and Kowloon. The estimated monthly rent ranges from about $1,470 to $3,330 (Note).
For more information about the LPH application, including details of all 13 projects, please refer to the enclosed LPH promotional pamphlets, or visit the HB's LPH website (www.hb.gov.hk/eng/lph). For enquiries, please call 3464 0700, or email lphapp@hb.gov.hk.
Note: Rents vary depending on the unit size and the district. The rental level is set at around 90 per cent of the rent of newly completed traditional PRH in the same district. Having regard to the biennial rent review of traditional PRH, the rent of LPH will be adjusted accordingly.
Light Public Housing enters new phase of circulation: applications now open for all projects Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Light Public Housing enters new phase of circulation: applications now open for all projects Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
