Transferred magistrate to be paid HK$50,000 more in admin role

An Eastern Court magistrate who was at the center of controversy over a series of acquittals in unrest cases will move to a High Court desk job starting next week, and with it at least HK$50,000 more pay a month. 

Stanley Ho Chun-yiu will be transferred to the High Court as a criminal listing judge, The Standard and its sister publication Sing Tao Daily reported on Monday. Ho will be responsible for scheduling the dates for hearings. The job has the equal rank of a deputy registrar of the High Court.

His transfer will be on September 18, Sing Tao reports today. Ho will be in the post for about 8.5 months until June 13 next year. 

As a magistrate, Ho is now in grade 10 of judge rankings. His new position is in grade 13. 

According to the report published by Joint Secretariat for the Advisory Bodies on Civil Service and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service (JSSCS) in 2019, the monthly salary for a High Court deputy registrar starts from HK$212,300. The salary for a magistrate ranges from HK$136,215 to HK$163,250 per month.

It means Ho's salary would increase by between HK$49,050 and HK$76,085 every month. As Ho will be transferred for 8.5 months, he could earn HK$417,000 to HK$646,000 more.

According to the Judiciary, a criminal listing judge is responsible for scheduling of criminal cases at the Court of First Instance. The listing judge has to list the case for trial within 21 days after receiving the defence’s request for listing.

Ho will only handle administrative work and will no longer hear cases.