Performance review: Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross reviews the Prosecutions Division's performance last year.

Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross says the International Association of Prosecutors' 12th Annual Conference and General Meeting will be held in Hong Kong September 16 to 20.

Speaking at a press conference today, Mr Cross said 500 prosecutors from more than 100 countries will attend the meeting. The event's theme is "Relations with Others: Accountability, Transparency & Independence".

"The conference will examine the way in which prosecutors relate to others in the community, and no issues are more important for prosecutors these days than accountability, transparency and independence," he added.

Performance review

Reviewing the Prosecutions Division's performance last year, Mr Cross said the number of new prosecutions rose from 222,876 in 2005 to 215,302 last year. A total of 14,895 advices were given in criminal cases, as compared to 14,707 in 2005.

Government Counsel attended 1,340 court days in the Court of First Instance, 778 in District Court and 491 in the Magistrates Courts. Court Prosecutors prosecuted a total of 177,034 cases last year in the Magistrates Courts, involving 12,571 court days.

In 2006, conviction rates in Magistrates Court were 76.8%, compared with 73.5% in 2005. In District Court, the rate was 91.8% compared with 87.5% a year earlier. In the Court of First Instance, the rate rose to 92.3% from 90.4%.

Appeal rates

The Court of Appeal determined 493 appeals in 2006. Of these, 84 (17.1%) were dismissed, 188 (38.1%) were allowed, and 221 (44.8%) were abandoned.               

Of the 1,180 Magistracy appeals concluded in 2006, 247 (20.9) were dismissed, 502 (42.6%) were allowed, and 431 (36.5%) were abandoned.