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Philippine court stops VP Sara Duterte's impeachment, raising ‘more questions than answers'
Philippine court stops VP Sara Duterte's impeachment, raising ‘more questions than answers'

South China Morning Post

time4 days ago

  • Politics
  • South China Morning Post

Philippine court stops VP Sara Duterte's impeachment, raising ‘more questions than answers'

The Philippine Supreme Court has derailed the impeachment trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio over a procedural flaw, a landmark ruling that legal observers warn avoids the substance of the allegations and risks leaving the public with more questions than answers. Advertisement In a unanimous 15–0 ruling delivered on Friday, the court found that the impeachment complaint endorsed by the House earlier this year violated the 'one-year rule' under the 1987 constitution, which prohibits multiple impeachment proceedings against the same official within a 12-month period. While both chambers of Congress said they would not appeal against the decision, the House of Representatives immediately vowed to refile the impeachment complaint early next year. The full ruling has yet to be released, but court spokeswoman Camille Ting said the justices concluded that due process 'applies during all stages of the impeachment process' and reminded the House that 'there is a right way to do the right things at the right time'. 'Our fundamental law is clear. The end of it does not justify the means,' Ting quoted the court as saying. Advertisement She did not elaborate on how the House had run afoul of the one-year rule, but said the violation meant the Senate 'could not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings'.

Hong Kong court says judge wrong to order lawyer to pay HK$1,400 over being late
Hong Kong court says judge wrong to order lawyer to pay HK$1,400 over being late

South China Morning Post

time5 days ago

  • South China Morning Post

Hong Kong court says judge wrong to order lawyer to pay HK$1,400 over being late

A Hong Kong court has ruled that a judge was wrong to order a barrister to pay HK$1,400 (US$178) in compensation to other lawyers at a criminal trial for being 10 minutes late to a hearing. The Court of Appeal on Thursday quashed a rare wasted costs order made against counsel Cherry Hui Shuk-yee, who said she was caught in a traffic jam amid a rainstorm that caused her to arrive late to the District Court on July 31, 2024. According to the appellate court's ruling, Judge Eddie Yip Chor-man had ordered that Hui, who represented one of seven defendants in the trial, pay HK$200 each to the prosecution and counsel representing the remaining accused within a month, totalling HK$1,400, because he 'had to perform his case management function'. While saying he had no reason to disbelieve Hui's account or question her integrity, Yip maintained that her explanation offered no reasonable excuse because rainstorms and traffic accidents were common occurrences in the city. The Court of Appeal previously described wasted costs orders against lawyers as a 'punitive' and 'draconian' measure that should only be meted out for 'seriously improper act or omission, or serious misconduct'. Mr Justice Kevin Zervos, who penned the appellate court's judgment, said the 'minor' delay and 'minimal' costs incurred by Hui's late arrival to court clearly did not warrant such a penalty.

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