Wilson Chan’s reputation is damaged because of his plagiarism and he will lose tens of millions of dollars in pay and allowances, they say
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenJess MaPublished: 10:40pm, 28 Jul 2026Updated: 10:50pm, 28 Jul 2026Telling a Hong Kong judge found to have plagiarised submissions in his judgments to retire early is a sufficient penalty, as he has already suffered reputational damage and is losing tens of millions of dollars in forgone salary, allowances and pension payouts, legal experts have said.A spokesman for the judiciary confirmed on Tuesday that Justice Wilson Chan Ka-shun would be eligible for early retirement benefits calculated in accordance with his period of service. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said he respected the chief justice’s decision to take action against Chan.
The spokesman said: “According to the [pensions] ordinance, early-retired judges are eligible for pension benefits, which are calculated on the basis of their length of service.”
The spokesman added that Chan’s pension would be reduced proportionately as his length of service would be shorter than usual due to his early retirement.
The chief justice said on Monday that Chan’s plagiarism had adversely affected the interests of the parties concerned, imposed an unnecessary burden on appellate judicial resources and undermined public confidence in his ability to discharge his duties.
