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Hong Kong courts
Hong KongLaw and Crime

Coroner’s inquest into Hong Kong’s Lamma IV disaster must expose systemic issues, reveal full story of ferry crash, victims’ families say

  • Philip Chiu, who lost his sister in tragedy, says he expects the inquiry to explain why one of the vessels sank so quickly
  • Justice will only be served if government releases two undisclosed investigation reports, former lawmaker James To says

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The HK Electric ferry that sank in the waters off Lamma Island after the collision in 2012. Photo: SCMP
Fiona Chow

A long-overdue coroner’s inquest into one of Hong Kong’s worst maritime disasters must help expose systemic issues and uncover the truth behind the ferry collision that claimed 39 lives, the victims’ families have said a day after a court overruled an earlier decision to reject their inquiry bid.

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But former lawmaker James To Kun-sun, who has been helping the families, on Thursday said justice would only be served if the government released two undisclosed investigation reports to the public.

The Court of Appeal on Wednesday overturned a judge’s earlier ruling that an inquiry into the deaths caused by the collision between two ferries in the waters off Lamma Island on October 1, 2012, was not needed.
Alice Leung and Philip Chiu, relatives of two of the victims, outside the High Court after learning about Wednesday’s ruling. Photo: Brian Wong
Alice Leung and Philip Chiu, relatives of two of the victims, outside the High Court after learning about Wednesday’s ruling. Photo: Brian Wong

To, who is also a lawyer, said he saw a turning point in comparison with previous administrations after reading a written reply to the families from Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok. Soon after taking office, the justice minister said he was approaching the legal battle from a “neutral position”.

The Department of Justice did not have a legal representative at the latest hearing, and To anticipated that Lam would not lean towards an appeal against the ruling.

The Post has contacted the department for comment.

Following the High Court ruling, To said he expected the inquest to determine if the Marine Department had failed to run some safety tests on the vessel, as well as address inconsistencies between two reports from police and a commission of inquiry.

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