The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:

     The Judiciary today (August 8) announced the appointments of His Honour Judge Leung Chun-man, His Honour Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong, His Honour Judge Anthony Kwok Kai-on and Her Honour Judge Amanda Jane Woodcock as Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court. The appointments will take effect from August 9, 2024.

     The appointments are made by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission.

     The biographical notes of the four appointees are as follows:

His Honour Judge Leung Chun-man

     His Honour Judge Leung was born in Hong Kong in 1965. He obtained an LL.B. and a P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 1989 and 1991 respectively. He was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 1991. He was in private practice from 1992 until he joined the Judiciary as District Judge in 2007.

His Honour Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong

     His Honour Judge Yau was born in Hong Kong in 1967. He obtained an LL.B. from the University of London, the United Kingdom, in 1993. He was called to the Bar in England and Wales and in Hong Kong, both in 1994. He was in private practice from 1995 until he joined the Judiciary as Permanent Magistrate in 2002. He was appointed as District Judge in 2009.
 
His Honour Judge Anthony Kwok Kai-on

     His Honour Judge Kwok was born in Hong Kong in 1963. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law from the University of Kent at Canterbury, the United Kingdom, in 1986. He was called to the Bar in England and Wales and in Hong Kong, both in 1989. He was in private practice from 1990 until he joined the Judiciary as Permanent Magistrate in 1997. He was appointed as Principal Magistrate in 2009 and as District Judge in 2012.

Her Honour Judge Amanda Jane Woodcock

     Her Honour Judge Woodcock was born in Hong Kong in 1966. She obtained an LL.B. from the Thames Valley University, the United Kingdom, in 1988. She was called to the Bar in England and in Hong Kong in 1989 and 1990 respectively. She was admitted as Solicitor in Hong Kong in 1996. She was in private practice from 1991 until she joined the Judiciary as Permanent Magistrate in 1998. She was appointed as District Judge in 2012.

     Hong Kong Customs on August 1 detected an air freight suspected gold-smuggling case, and seized about 12 kilograms of suspected gold with an estimated market value of about $7.5 million, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

     Based on risk assessment, Customs on that day examined an air cargo consignment, declared as carrying bags, sweaters, garments and documents, and departing for Japan, at the Customs Cargo Examination Compound at HKIA. Upon inspection, Customs officers found a batch of undeclared ozone generators and seized the batch of suspected smuggled gold, which was moulded and camouflaged as transformer parts, inside the transformers of the ozone generators. 

     The investigation is still ongoing. 

     Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against all kinds of smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/). 

    

     The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will launch various special activities and offers from August 15 to 31 for the public to support and participate in the second National Ecology Day (NED).
 
     The Hong Kong Wetland Park will offer free admission and activities on August 15. Members of the public can also enjoy a special discount of 18.5 per cent off for gift redemptions or e-coupons on the GREEN$ Mobile App, at GREEN@COMMUNITY Recycling Stations, Recycling Stores (excluding Recycling Spots) and gift redemption units provided by the Environmental Protection Department at various locations on August 15. Moreover, free workshops will be held at T·Park on August 25.
 
     During August 16 and 21, the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) will hold a thematic exhibition for the NED at G/F, Central Atrium, Olympian City 2. The exhibition will showcase the culture and nature ecology of Hong Kong's countryside through a variety of displays, virtual reality games and interactive zones. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will also organise four BioBlitz Experiential Tours in Pok Fu Lam Country Park and the Lions Nature Education Centre for the public to explore the local wildlife and learn about the beautiful and unique nature ecology of Hong Kong.

     Furthermore, over 30 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will provide a series of free activities and offers, including free admission to facilities, free guided eco-tours, night safaris, workshops and seminars.

     A spokesman for the EEB said, "The country designated August 15 as NED last year to promote society's awareness towards ecological civilisation and environmental protection. Through the above-mentioned activities and offers, the HKSAR Government and NGOs aim to enhance the public's awareness of ecological civilisation and their consciousness of the need for thought and action to protect our environment, with a view to echoing our country's continuous efforts in advancing ecological civilisation construction and promoting the modernisation of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. We are very grateful for the relevant organisations' participation and appeal to the public for active participation in the activities concerned."
 
     Details of the NED exhibition and relevant special activities and offers have been uploaded to the social media platform of the Countryside Conservation Office (www.facebook.com/countrysideconservationhk), the social media platform of T·PARK (www.facebook.com/tparkhk), the Hong Kong Biodiversity Information Hub website of the AFCD (bih.gov.hk/en/education-programmes/programmes/index.html) as well as the websites or social media platforms of participating organisations.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 8) appealed to members of the public not to use a whitening cream product as it may contain excessive mercury, which is harmful to one's health.
      
     The CHP received a notification of a mercury poisoning case from the Hospital Authority involving a female patient, aged 43. The patient was found to have proteinuria (presence of excess proteins in urine) after admission to the hospital. She reported using two whitening cream products. Her urine and blood samples revealed mercury levels higher than the respective reference levels, which were clinically suspected to be related to the use of the above products. The patient is still hospitalised and is in stable condition.
      
     Testing by the Government Laboratory of one of the products labelled "Goree Beauty Cream" (see photo) revealed that the product contains excessive mercury. According to information provided by the patient, she has been using this product for several weeks. The case has been referred to the relevant law enforcement agency for follow-up. An investigation is still ongoing.
      
     "Chronic exposure to mercury can cause damage to the nervous system and kidneys. Symptoms may include tremors, irritability, insomnia, memory deterioration, concentration difficulty, impaired hearing and vision, and a change in the taste function. In severe cases, renal failure may occur," a spokesman for the CHP said.
      
     The spokesman strongly urged people who are using this product to stop using it immediately. They should consult healthcare professionals as soon as possible if they feel unwell or are in doubt.

  

     The Government Property Agency (GPA) awarded three property management services contracts upon completion of an open tender exercise. The new contracts will commence on October 1, 2024, and be valid for four years.

     The three contracts will cover government office buildings and quarters developments managed by the GPA in respect of three areas on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories. The total contract sum of the three contracts is around $1,502 million.

     The list of contractors awarded the contracts is available on the GPA's website: www.gpaproperty.gov.hk/en/tender-quotation-notices/award-of-contracts/management-of-government-properties.html.