SHAREHOLDERS' RIGHTS - PART I - COMMON LAW DERIVATIVE ACTION 

It is a general principle of company law that an individual shareholder cannot sue for wrongs done to a company or complain of any internal irregularities.  This principle is commonly known as the rule in Foss v Harbottle.

Rule in Foss v Harbottle

可以閃電離婚嗎？

現在甚麼也講求速度，眼見不少人閃電結婚，外國有些明星更閃電離婚。在香港可行嗎？根據《婚姻訴訟條例》，除非欲申請離婚的一方能夠向法院提出證據證明申請人蒙受異常的困苦，或婚姻的另一方的行為異常敗壞，否則自結婚當日起計一年期間，是不得向法院提出離婚呈請。法例於一九九七年未修改前，限制提出離婚呈請的時限原本是三年。

要證明申請人蒙受異常的困苦或另一方的行為異常敗壞並非容易，一般的夫妻不和並不足夠，而且法院要考慮家庭子女的權益及雙方達成和解的合理可能性，所以律師一般都會建議等待一年限期屆滿才向法院提出離婚呈請。

分開居住的定義

就算未能提出離婚呈請，婚姻的其中一方是可以選擇搬離婚姻居所。

持久授權書的用處

朋友的母親近年患上老人癡呆症（又稱腦退化症），情況已到相當嚴重的階段。跟一般的夫婦一樣，婚姻居所當年是以俗稱長命契的形式購入，即其中一方先離世，其業權會自動由仍在世的一方繼承，手續上只需將死亡證送交土地註册處登記即可。

由於朋友的母親已無法處理自己的事務，故希望可以將母親於物業的業權轉到其父親或其他兄弟姊妹名下。可惜已經太遲了，因為在此情況下，其母親已在法律上為「精神上無行為能力」的人，要有合法權力代表其母親處理物業的業權的話，其中一個方法是由家人或其他合適的人仕根據《精神健康條例》向高等法院原訟庭申請委任產業受託監管人，代當事人管理物業及財務事宜。不過申請過程頗為複雜，而且監管人需不時向法庭滙報進度或索取指示。

「持久授權書」與「一般授權書」的分別

SECURITY FOR COSTS APPLICATION AGAINST A FOREIGN PLAINTIFF

A defendant to an action or proceedings in the Court of First Instance can apply for such security of the defendant's costs where it appears to the Court that the plaintiff is ordinarily resident out of the jurisdiction.  In making the order, the Court will have regard to all the circumstances of the case and if it thinks it is just to do so (Order 23 rule 1(1)(a) of the Rules of the High Court).

WINNIE CHOW’S LETTER ON COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 4 NOVEMBER 2011

On 25 October 2011, the South China Morning Post published a letter from  a Mr. Michael Jenkins in which he expressed his view that changes to divorce laws are long overdue. He specifically said that “acrimonious divorce hearings highlight how difficult it is to maintain a marriage ‘until death us do part’”.

Shortening legal proceedings by making sanctioned offers. [VIEW]

MAINLAND MARRIAGE LAW - WINNIE CHOW

The recent interpretation of mainland marriage law by China's Supreme Court has sparked heated debate and widespread criticism.  It stipulates that a property brought into a marriage by one person will remain theirs on divorce, and the other spouse will have no rights to it.

A SIMPLE GUIDE ON ESTATE PLANNING

There are many ways as to how one's wealth and assets be divided up on death.  Before listing out the various options, it is important to ascertain the overall intention and objective of the proposed arrangements as well as the business background, personal and family information of the client.  For instance, a married man giving all his wealth to his wife should consider whether his wife should also make a will in case she does not survive him and the possible claims from other dependants.

CHILD'S INTERESTS SHOULD GUIDE FERTILITY DECISIONS

South China Morning Post, 1 July 2011

Winnie Chow says our rules on treatment for would-be parents need to reflect social norms.