Hong Kong justice chief Teresa Cheng should have withdrawn from all unfinished arbitration work, sector veterans say
Post also learns embattled official gained government exemption to work on six ongoing cases citing their near completion as justification
Hong Kong’s freshly appointed justice minister should have withdrawn from all unfinished arbitration cases before assuming her new duties, sector veterans have said, arguing it would be hard to convince the public no conflict of interest existed.
Most of the legal professionals – each requesting anonymity over the sensitive issue – said they did not see any actual conflicts. However, they believed the public might form a “different view” about Cheng, who could be handling two roles the next few months.
Teresa Cheng must not remain blind to Hong Kong people’s high expectations of government officials
“[The public] may think she is spending Hong Kong taxpayers’ money on other people’s business,” a prominent arbitration figure said. Others cited worries that the ties she formed with the law firms involved in the six cases could pose challenges of impartiality as the city’s top justice official.
Industry leaders held mixed views on her integrity and how the scandal would affect the city’s arbitration landscape. While some concluded the controversy had inflicted a personal blow, others said it could create a ripple effect spreading across the sector.
