JOURNAL ARTICLE

Judges' characteristics and sentencing in Hong Kong.

  • Published In: Criminology & Criminal Justice: An International Journal, 2025, v. 25, n. 4. P. 1244 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Cheng, Kevin Kwok-yin; Ri, Sayaka; Chengchen, He 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines how judges' demographic characteristics and prior professional experience influence sentencing outcomes in Hong Kong’s District Court, an understudied context outside Western jurisdictions. Using data from the Hong Kong Judiciary’s Reason for Sentence database and judges’ biographies, the study finds that older judges generally impose harsher sentences but are more lenient toward older defendants, supporting a partial effect of demographic similarity. Judges educated abroad tend to issue longer sentences, while those with prior prosecutorial experience surprisingly impose more lenient sentences than former defense lawyers. The findings suggest that legal education and prior work experience shape judicial sentencing more than years on the bench or gender, highlighting implications for sentencing consistency in a system lacking comprehensive sentencing guidelines.

Additional Information

  • Source:Criminology & Criminal Justice: An International Journal. 2025/09, Vol. 25, Issue 4, p1244
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Social Sciences and Humanities
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:1748-8958
  • DOI:10.1177/17488958231187215
  • Accession Number:187071220
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Criminology & Criminal Justice: An International Journal is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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