陳玉芬

English

Chan Yuk-fan is a judge of the District Court of Hong Kong, born in Hong Kong in 1966. She obtained an LL.B. (external) from the University of London in 1994, a Postgraduate Certificate in Laws from the University of Hong Kong in 1995 and an LL.M. in Chinese and Comparative Law from the City University of Hong Kong in 2004. She qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong in 1997 and became an accredited mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) in 2012. She practised privately from 1997 and was appointed a Permanent Magistrate in 2006. On 23 January 2017, Chan was appointed a District Judge, taking office with Kot Sin-yi, Yung Kiu-kei, Wong Lai-wing, Liu Man-kin and Lai Tat-cheung; the appointment was made by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission. Her master's degree in Chinese and Comparative Law and her recognised mediation credentials are both useful when disputes involve Mainland legal elements or lend themselves to mediated settlement. The District Court is one of Hong Kong's original courts. It deals with civil claims of moderate value and the more serious criminal cases, with a sentencing limit generally of seven years' imprisonment; its judges are appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, under the Basic Law. Moving from solicitor to magistrate and then to the District Court, Chan can draw on her criminal trial experience while adapting to the District Court's broader civil jurisdiction, which is a fresh test of a judge's professional ability. Her years in the magistracy gave her experience in criminal cases and procedural matters that she can apply to more complex cases at the District Court, and a judge with mediation qualifications can often help parties reach settlement in family and commercial disputes, easing the burden of litigation.