A Court of Appeal notice has been filed over the Court of First Instance's judgment on applications made by Sing Tao and a reporter to set aside the Independent Commission Against Corruption's search warrants.

The ICAC has decided to lodge an appeal in accordance with legal advice after studying the judgment in detail in consultation with the Department of Justice.

Taking into consideration the far-reaching implications of the judgment on the legal procedures governing the handling of journalistic materials by law enforcement agencies, the commission and the department want to seek clarification from the Court of Appeal on certain law points and legal principles.

The ICAC also believes a further ruling will offer clearer guidelines for law enforcement agencies to follow in future, regardless of the appeal's outcome.