梅國強大律師包攬訴訟案 控方要求加刑 (Barrister Louie Mui's Case - Prosecution Wants to Increase His Sentence)

執業近廿載的大律師梅國強 (Counsel Louie Mui)，在5宗民事索償案私下跟客人協議，勝訴後瓜分客人所得合共過百萬賠償金，經審訊後被判「包攬訴訟」罪成，已被判囚3年半。梅昨日在高等法院提上訴，即時給上訴庭法官駁回，控方反指梅刑期過輕要求增加刑期，上訴庭押後書面裁決是否加刑。上訴庭審理這宗包攬訴訟上訴案時，表示關注到該 5宗民事訴訟中，所屬事務律師行的參與程度。

上訴人梅國強 (Barrister Louie Mui)（52歲）被指於1999年至2008年的9年內，跟5名民事案原訴人秘密協議，勝訴後收取賠償得益的兩成半至3成作為佣金，不成功則不收費。司徒敬昨指考慮到梅的上訴毫無理據，根本沒有爭辯餘地，判令他賠償律政司今次應訊所花的訟費。

案件編號：CACC 133/2013 (主審：司徒敬上訴庭副庭長，賴磐德、麥機智法官)

(Source: http://www.hkdailynews.com.hk/news.php?id=301490)

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大律師梅國強求減刑 反臨加監

【明報專訊】大律師梅國強於9年間，先後五度與客人私訂協議，若官司勝訴他可從賠償金額中瓜分25%至30%作報酬，多年獲得162.9萬元。梅被裁定5項「分享訴訟成果」罪成，判囚3年半，成為首名因包攬訴訟被定罪的大律師，梅不服定罪及刑期，昨提出上訴，但上訴庭一一駁回之餘，更主動提出認為刑期過輕擬加監。

原判囚3年半

根據大律師公會網頁，梅國強（52歲）已不在執業大律師名冊上。上訴庭昨駁回梅的上訴後指出，梅的3年半刑期明顯過輕，將以書面解釋駁回上訴的理由，以處理擬加監事宜。上訴庭同時要求律政司向法庭報告涉案事務律師有否被警方調查等進度。

事發1999年10月至2008年11月，曾任懲教署督察的梅國強在沒有事務律師代為接洽下接觸客戶，或經客戶的親友介紹接見對方並商討案件。部分案件中，被告更「收兩家茶禮」，當案件勝訴或和解，案件另一方經事務律師行向被告付訟費後，被告再收下客戶協議瓜分給他的「律師費」。

此外，被告會着客人將原來協議的訴訟得益，過戶到一名叫陳玉芳（譯音）的戶口，被告亦有權操作戶口。

【案件編號：CACC133/03】

(Source: http://news.sina.com.hk/news/20131009/-2-3085742/1.html)

梅國強大律師 (Barrister Louie Mui) 包攬訴訟囚3年半

梅國強大律師 (Barrister Louie Mui) 包攬訴訟囚3年半

http://news.sina.com.hk/news/20130326/-32-2928093/1.html

2013年3月26日 - 星島日報: -

曾遭大律師公會停牌半年的大律師梅國強 (Counsel Louie Mui) 涉嫌五度包攬訴訟，早前被裁定5項包攬訴訟罪罪名成立，今日下午在區域法院被判處入獄3年半。法官判刑時表示，被告違反專業，利用客戶不熟悉索償法律程序，違反對他們的誠信，案情嚴重，必須判監。法官同時下令，被告須向5宗索償案件的客戶，賠償他瓜分了的大部分款項。52歲的大律師梅國強涉嫌於99年至08年期間，五度在民事索償案中，主動要求與申索人攤分勝訴賠償，在沒有事務律師在場下給予法律意見，承諾「不成功不收費」，更「吃兩家茶禮」，同時接受申索人及事務律師行支付的律師費，收受利益總額超過170萬。

Source: http://www.uwants.com/viewthread.php?tid=16004076&page=1

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1200505/history-made-barrister-louie-mui-jailed-illegal-deals-clients

History made as Barrister Louie Mui is jailed for illegal deals with clients

 

A barrister (Lawyer and Counsel Louie Mui - 梅國強大律師) was sentenced to 3½ years' jail yesterday for what a judge said were "obnoxious" deals to buy into his clients' lawsuits and gain more than HK$1.6 million from their damages payments.

Louie Mui Kwok-keung, 53, made Hong Kong history by becoming the first barrister convicted of the archaic common-law offence known as champerty - the act of one striking an illegal deal with a party in a lawsuit to obtain a share of its proceeds.

The five offences took place between 1999 and 2008, when he persuaded five clients to pay him 25 to 30 per cent of the damages they would receive if they won their claims, or had their cases settled out of court.

District Court Judge Amanda Woodcock said in her ruling: "As a barrister, the defendant's conduct posed a genuine risk to court process." She said that his act amounted to "exploitation" of the laymen involved who had no legal knowledge.

"They paid what they thought was the legal fee," she said.

Woodcock ordered Mui to repay a total of HK$1.5 million to four of his clients by August, saying she was sure that they were not aware of the illegality of the agreements.

She said that the agreements were "pure champerty" and "in a more obnoxious form", because Mui had skirted stated procedures and initially dealt directly with all the five clients without involving a solicitor.