The successful prosecution that has led to the conviction of two influential figures in the city is of great significance to upholding social justice in Hong Kong.

Thomas Kwok, the billionaire co-chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties, was found guilty of conspiring to pay HK$8.5 million to Rafael Hui, Hong Kong's former No 2 official, in exchange for favorable treatment for Sun Hung Kai, the world's second-most valuable real estate company.

The verdicts, arrived at by the nine-member jury last Friday after deliberating for five days in Hong Kong's highest-profile graft trial, will go a long way in bolstering public confidence in the judicial system.

There has been a widely accepted notion in the society that the rich, with unlimited resources to hire the best lawyers in town and even worldwide, can always manage to get off the hook after being charged with an offence in court.

The performance of the jury of this case has proved that the jury system is an effective and reliable mechanism for safeguarding the rule of law - the principle whereby all members of the society are equally subject to and accountable to the law.

This is especially significant at a time when doubts have risen about Hong Kong's capability in upholding social justice. The anti-rich sentiment the city witnessed over recent years has much to do with a lingering perception that collusions between government officials and property developers have contributed to the city's widening wealth gap and deepening social injustice. The jury's verdicts will no doubt help restore public confidence in the city's rule of law.

The successful prosecution of the city's most high-profile graft case is of equal importance to restoring public confidence in the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

The anti-graft agency has seen a fall in the number of corruption complaints lodged with it over the past three years. Many in the society have blamed weakening public confidence in the ICAC for the decline, citing the scandal over the alleged lavish spending by a former chief of the agency.

Hui's graft case could be just an individual case. But it can also be just the tip of the iceberg. Stronger public confidence in the anti-graft agency will hopefully lead to stronger motivation for citizens participating in the fight against graft and corruption. After all, the successful prosecution and the eventual conviction of Hui and his accomplices would not have happened without the ICAC first receiving a tip-off from a member of the public.

(HK Edition 12/22/2014 page8)