Lord Hoffmann
Lord Hoffmann has 35 reported Hong Kong decisions (1998–2026) in the HKCFA.
About Lord Hoffmann
Lord Hoffmann has 35 reported Hong Kong decisions (1998–2026). These were decided across HKCFA (35). By subject matter, the largest shares are Basic Law (2), ERO which says that any regulations made under the Ordinance (1) and Emergency Regulations Ordinance (1). Of these, 35 sitting on the coram.
Source: derived from 35 published Hong Kong judgments, most recent decision . Published on HKLII.
On the judicial record
Leonard Hubert Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann, is a South African-British judge who serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal and formerly sat as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1995 to 2009. He was called to the Bar from Gray's Inn in 1964 and took silk on 19 April 1977, before appointment to the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey in 1980, the High Court's Chancery Division in 1985, and as a Lord Justice of Appeal in 1992. His reported Hong Kong record spans 1998 to 2026, concentrated in criminal law, land and property, and bribery and corruption matters.
Reported decisions include TO SZE ON, THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF TO CHEONG LAM, DECEASED V. YIM TIN FOOK, SINCE DECEASED AND OTHERS, heard at [2026] HKCFA 17 and [2026] HKCFA 27, and LEONG MA LI V. HIGH FASHION NEW MEDIA CORPORATION LIMITED [2026] HKCFA 18. Criminal matters include HKSAR V. F.S.L. [2026] HKCFA 13, HKSAR V. LI CHEUNG CHOI [2025] HKCFA 1, and HKSAR V. CHOY KIN YUE (蔡健瑜) [2022] HKCFA 27. Earlier reported matters include KWOK WING HANG AND 23 OTHERS V. CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN COUNCIL AND ANOTHER, heard at [2020] HKCFA 42 and [2021] HKCFA 11, JOE ZHIXIONG ZHOU V. SAIF PARTNERS II L.P. AND ANOTHER [2020] HKCFA 44, HONG KONG SAI KUNG NGONG WO RESORT DEVELOPMENT LIMITED（香港西貢昂窩渡假村發展有限公司）V. TOTALCORP (NOMINEES) LIMITED [2022] HKCFA 28, and, from the earliest reported period, GLOBAL TIME INVESTMENTS LTD. V. SUPER KEEN INVESTMENTS LTD. [2000] HKCFA 104 and WONG PUI SHAM V. HKSAR [2000] HKCFA 41.
Biography
Leonard Hubert "Lennie" Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann (born 8 May 1934) is a senior South African–British judge. Currently, he serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong; he formerly served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1995 to 2009. Well known for his lively decisions and willingness to break with convention, Hoffmann has had an especially large impact on the interpretation of contracts, shareholder actions in UK company law, in restricting tort liability for public authorities, human rights and intellectual property law, in particular patents.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career Highlights
- • Currently, he serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong; he formerly served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1995 to 2009.
- • In 1963, he published the first edition of The South African Law of Evidence, a work which became the standard text and which has since been published in four editions.
- • After being called to the Bar from Gray's Inn in 1964, Hoffmann became one of the most sought after and highly priced barristers of his generation and was quickly made a judge, having taken silk on 19 April 1977.
- • He was also appointed to the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division from 1985 to 1992.
- • He was subsequently appointed to be a Lord Justice of Appeal on 1 October 1992 and stayed in office until 1995.
- • In 1995, Hoffmann was appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (more commonly known as a Law Lord) and thereby raised to the peerage as Baron Hoffmann, of Chedworth in the County of Gloucestershire.
Education
- • awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong
- • Bar from Gray's Inn in 1964, Hoffmann became one of the most sought after and highly priced barristers of his generation and was quickly made a judge, having taken silk on 19 April 1977
- • University of Cape Town and then attended The Queen's College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar, where he studied for the BCL degree and won the Vinerian Scholarship
- • University College, Oxford, where he is an Honorary Fellow
- • University of London, as Honorary Professor of Intellectual Property Law
How many cases has Lord Hoffmann decided?
Lord Hoffmann has 35 reported Hong Kong decisions (1998–2026).
Which courts does Lord Hoffmann sit in?
Lord Hoffmann sits in HKCFA (35).
What is Lord Hoffmann's judicial background before Hong Kong?
Leonard Hubert Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann, was called to the Bar in 1964, took silk in 1977, and served as a Lord Justice of Appeal from 1992 and a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1995 to 2009; he now sits as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal.
What subject areas has Lord Hoffmann heard in Hong Kong?
His reported Court of Final Appeal record, spanning 1998 to 2026, concentrates on criminal law and land and property matters, including HKSAR V. F.S.L. [2026] HKCFA 13 and TO SZE ON... V. YIM TIN FOOK... [2026] HKCFA 27, along with bribery and corruption matters.
What constitutional or public-law cases has Lord Hoffmann heard?
Lord Hoffmann sat on KWOK WING HANG AND 23 OTHERS V. CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN COUNCIL AND ANOTHER, reported at [2020] HKCFA 42 and [2021] HKCFA 11, among the Court of Final Appeal's reported public-law matters.
Practice Areas (from the 39-area taxonomy)
Citation influence
27 of Lord Hoffmann's authored judgments have been cited by later Hong Kong judgments, 901 times in total, per HKLII citation records.