In August 2017, ADMCF started its court monitoring programme involving attending as many wildlife crime cases as possible in both Magistrates Court and the District Court (Post May 1st 2018), with the aim of developing case notes to inform understanding of how Hong Kong’s criminal justice system is in practice treating wildlife crime in its courts.
Following Hong Kong’s legislative amendment (May 1st 2018) whereby wildlife crime offences became indictable with a maximum 10year custodial sentence, court monitoring has enabled the tracking of the new penalty regime’s effectiveness and identification of its shortcomings. These data are being used as part of dialogue with the government regarding policy change and to press for appropriate deterrent sentencing.
Further the court monitoring provides important additional information on seizures for incorporation into the Wildlife Products Seizure database (WiPS), by capturing data and details that have not been released publicly by the Hong Kong Government.
2018: Year in Review
June 27, 2019
Lisa Genasci
Perhaps the seminal moment for all of us at ADM Capital Foundation in 2018 was the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. This covered the impacts of global warming 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. ...
Regional
The Pangolin Paradox
June 18, 2019
Sophie le Clue
Little known, massively trafficked and facing extinction because of the scales meant to protect it. The pangolin is a remarkable creature, not least because of its unusual biology and character, but also because despite being ...
Hong Kong
Wildlife Crime Seminar (2.0): Tipping the Scales Against Hong Kong’s Illegal Wildlife Trade
January 22, 2019
Lisa Genasci
On January 22, ADM Capital Foundation brought together members of the legal community, government, NGOs, as well as financial crime and wildlife investigators to share views on how to combat the trade in illegal wildlife products ...
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