'Giggling' barrister to face tribunal
A Scottish barrister who allegedly created a scene by drunkenly giggling in a Hong Kong court is to face a tribunal that could disbar him.
Roderick Murray put on sunglasses, giggled, clapped and drummed his fingers on his desk during an August 9 hearing, forcing a judge to halt a sentencing.
Murray later acknowledged to reporters that he had consumed two dry martinis and an unspecified number of beers before going to court.
Hong Kong’s top prosecutor, Grenville Cross, has issued an apology to Judge Chua Fi-lan, and Murray has been barred from prosecuting any cases in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Bar Association now plans to bring Murray before a tribunal, where he could face charges such as misconduct, putting the bar in disrepute or acting disrespectfully to the court.
Penalties could range from a reprimand to permanent disbarment, bar association chairman Edward Chan said.
Murray is a Scotsman who trained in law at the University of Southampton. At least for now, he remains a member of the Hong Kong bar with a clean record.
“He is holding a certificate to practise, but whether he is suitable to practise – he would have to make up his own mind,” Chan said.
