Barrister
Alison Kao
Email
alison.kao@lokschambers.com
Phone
2526 0068

Alison Kao

Barrister

Profile:

Alison was called to the Bar in 2015 after serving her pupillage with Mr. Jeremy J. Bartlett, S.C. and the Department of Justice and marshalling the Hon. Mr. Justice Pang (as he then was).

Alison’s practice encompasses a broad range of criminal cases. She has conducted trials in the Magistrates’ Courts and Juvenile Courts in general criminal cases (e.g. cases of fraud and other dishonesty offences, money laundering, trade description, triad, drugs, sexual and violent offences) and cases of traffic, housing, immigration offences, etc.

Alison has often appeared in other levels of court, including the District Court, the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal, conducting trials, mitigation and appeals.

Alison has sat as a Deputy Magistrate in different courts. She has heard industrial and departmental summonses (e.g. those of the Labour Department, the Environmental Protection Department, the Customs and Excise Department, TACO of the Department of Health and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department), ICAC, traffic, immigration and general criminal cases, and cases involving hospital order, forfeiture order and constitutional arguments, etc.

Apart from her criminal practice, Alison has a general civil practice with a focus on personal injury, marine insurance, probate and matrimonial cases. She is on the Legal Aid Panel for personal injury cases.

She is a guest speaker at the Education University of Hong Kong on discrimination, data privacy and criminal law.

 

Education:

2011 – Bachelor of Business Administration (Law) (The University of Hong Kong)

2013 – Bachelor of Laws (The University of Hong Kong)

2014 – P.C.L.L. (The University of Hong Kong)

 

Public Appointments:

Oct 2021 – Dec 2022 – Deputy Magistrate in the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts

Jan 2022 – Apr 2022 – Deputy Magistrate in the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts

Oct 2023 – Jan 2024 – Deputy Magistrate in the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts

 

Languages:

Fluent in English, Cantonese and Putonghua

 

Selected Cases:

Criminal cases

Fraud, Deception, other Dishonesty Offences and Money Laundering

  • HKSAR v Lau & Anor DCCC 433/2024: Fraud – Variation of bail terms – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Wong & Anor [2024] HKDC 1998, DCCC 681/2023: Attempted fraud – Advice and mitigation – Sole advocate for the 2nd defendant
  • HKSAR v Zeng ESCC 694/2024: Deception – Prosecution withdrew the charge after plea bargain and representations – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v. Lam WKCC 243/2024: Money laundering – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Li & Anor KCS 44898-9/2023: Making false statement – Application for cost after acquittal – Sole advocate for both defendants
  • HKSAR v Chan STCC 1888/2022: 3 charges of fraud and 3 alternative charges of theft – Admission ruled out – Full acquittal after an 8-day trial– Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Lau KTCC 2376/2021: Money laundering – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Dan ESCC 666/2020: Theft – Disposed property – Prosecution has no case to answer – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Song KCCC 1785/2018: Using false instruments – Resisted challenges on an expert witness’s expertise – Admissibility of the expert evidence – Falsity of a cashier’s order – Fiat counsel

 

Sexual Offences

  • HKSAR v CSL [2024] HKCFI 1142, HCCC 212/2022: Multiple charges of rape, gross indecency and indecent assault – Co-counsel with Mr. Franco Kuan for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Lee KCCC 2918/2022: 2 charges of indecent assault – alibi – Similar fact evidence – Fiat counsel
  • HKSAR v Duen FLCC 1117/2022: Indecent assault – Evidence given via live TV link and video recorded testimony – Application for cost after acquittal – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Leung KCCC 894/2022: Public indecency – Character witnesses – Recent complaint in public indecency cases – Fiat counsel
  • HKSAR v Yim ESCC 40/2022: Loitering – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Yu STCC 3227/2020: Indecent assault – Newton hearing – Cost – Fiat counsel
  • HKSAR v YHN [2017] 1 HKLRD 694, CACC251/2014: Multiple charges of attempted rape and indecent assault – Doli Incapax – Assisted the Prosecution in research and drafting of submissions

 

Violent, Triad and Drug Offences

  • HKSAR v Cheng [2025] HKCFI 1811, HCMA 281/2024: Wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm – Appeal against conviction – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Wong WKCC 3012/2024: Fighting in public place – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Fan STCC 2730/2024: Criminal intimidation – Prosecution accepted bind-over after close of prosecution case – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Pang & Anor TMCC 969/2023: Possession of offensive weapons – Acquitted after trial – Sole advocate for the 1st defendant
  • HKSAR v Chow ESCC 2583/2022: Possession of dangerous drugs – Possession of Part I poison – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Wong ESCC 1221/2022: Criminal intimidation – Medical expert evidence – Co-counsel with Mr. Franco Kuan for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Poon WKCC 2752/2020: Assault occasioning actual bodily harm – Sole advocatefor the defendant
  • KCCC 700031/2018: Arson – Juvenile Court – Challenged the medical expert evidence on autism spectrum disorder – Fiat counsel

 

Trade Description Offences

  • HKSAR v Wu & Anor WKCC 5580/2024: Selling/ possession for sale goods to which a forged trademark applied – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Tong & Ors WKCC 1632/2022: False trade description – Junior counsel (led by Mr. Tony Li, S.C.) for the 2nd defendant

 

Immigration Offences

  • HKSAR v Li STCC 942/2025: Overstaying – Possession of forged ID card – Illegal employment – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Huang STCC 2372/2024: Bogus marriage – Prosecution has no case to answer – Application for cost after acquittal – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Lyu & Anor STCC 2134: Making a false statutory declaration – Sole advocate for the 2nd defendant
  • HKSAR v Tian STCC 367/2021: Bogus marriage – Sole advocate for the defendant

 

Traffic Offences

  • HKSAR v Lee [2025] HKDC 272, [2025] HKDC 512, DCCC 413/2023: Dangerous driving causing death – Acquitted after trial – Mitigation in respect of the lesser charge of careless driving to which the defendant pleaded guilty – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Chan & Anor [2024] HKDC 1572, DCCC 1193/2023: Dangerous driving causing death – Pleaded bargain and conducted mitigation for a lesser charge of careless driving – Co-counsel with Ms. Rachel Po for the 2nd defendant
  • HKSAR v Tam KCS 703/2024: Dangerous driving – Plea of the charge of careless driving accepted – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Chui KCS 5573/2023: Careless driving – Prosecution withdrew the charge after representations – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • HKSAR v Choy KTCC 783/2023: Driving without third party insurance – Knowledge of the absence of coverage or having a genuine belief of its presence – Impact of an international driving licence to a third party insurance – Fiat counsel
  • HKSAR v Lee KCS 35629/2022: Careless driving – Resisted a stay application concerning failing to preserve footages of a car camera – Fiat counsel
  • HKSAR v Yan KCS 11560-1/2018: Whether the subject road and vehicle constituted a “road” and a “vehicle” under the relevant statutes respectively – Fiat counsel
  • HKSAR v Ho STV 29/2018: Speeding – Resisted challenges on the expert evidence on the reliability of a laser gun – Fiat counsel
  • HKSAR v Wu FLS 11974-6/2017: Failing to stop – Failing to report – Acquitted after trial – Sole advocate for the defendant

 

Civil Cases

Personal Injury and Medical Negligence Cases

  • Chan v Ever Gain Engineering Limited and Third Parties DCPI 3031/2022: Personal injury – Discovery against a third party – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • 陳 訴 社會福利署署長 [2025] HKCFI 734, HCPI 685/2017: Personal injury – Trial – Liability and quantum – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • Khan v Sir Ellis Kadoorie Secondary School HCPI 127/2022: Personal injury – Advice – Quantum – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • Lee v Mak & Anor HCPI 104/2022: Personal injury – Advice – Liability and quantum – Sole advocate for the defendant
  • Yu v Synergis Management Service Ltd. [2021] HKDC 1116, [2021] HKDC 1205, [2022] HKCA 1250, [2022] HKCA 1882, DCPI 3763/2019, CAMP 581/2021: Personal injury – Trial, appeals and application for leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal – Liability and quantum – Co-counsel with Mr. C.K. Wong for the defendant
  • Lai v Gammon Construction Ltd. [2022] HKDC 858, DCPI 2576/2019: Personal injury – Trial – Liability and quantum – Co-counsel with Mr. C.K. Wong for the defendant
  • Butt v The Hong Kong Polytechnic University & Ors HCPI 726/2018: Medical negligence – Leave to conduct a separate medical examination for quantum – Sole advocate for the plaintiff
  • Senehang v Wui Loong Scaffolding Works & Anor HCPI 1316/2016: Personal injury – Discovery and the adducing of expert evidence – Co-counsel with Mr. C.K. Wong for the defendant
  • Leung v Wong [2019] HKCFI 2935, HCPI 289/2016: Personal injury – Trial – Quantum – Loss of chance for promotion – Co-counsel with Mr. C.K. Wong for the plaintiff
  • Zhou v Eastway Travel Company Ltd. & Anor HCPI 466/2015: Personal injury – Trial – Settlement – Liability and quantum – Minor’s liability – Co-counsel with Mr. C.K. Wong for the plaintiff

 

Marine Insurance Cases

  • CK Telecom (Hong Kong) Limited & Anor v The Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Company (Hong Kong) Limited HCA 936/2019: Damages under a marine insurance policy – Sole advocate for the plaintiff
  • Truly Semiconductors Limited & Ors v MSIG Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited HCA 1614/2014: Damages under a marine insurance policy – Foreign illegality – Junior counsel (led by Mr. Jeremy J. Bartlett, S.C.) for the plaintiff

 

Probate Cases

  • Mai v Mak & Anor HCMP 2619/2016, FCMP 184/2011, HCMP 1071/2023, HCA 1075/2023: Seeking inventory and account – Cost on indemnity basis – Order for sale – devastavit – Removal of Administrators – Sole advocate for the plaintiff
  • Chang v Chang HCAP 34/2015: Validity of marriage under the law of Chinese customary marriage and modern marriage – Advice – Sole advocate for the plaintiff

 

Matrimonial Cases

  • C v L FCMC 12530/2019: Variation of court order – Custody – Ancillary relief – Sole advocate for the respondent
  • K v H FCMC 1456/2023: Interim maintenance – Maintenance pending suit – Sole advocate for the respondent
  • C v C FCMC 11262/2020: Ancillary relief – Settlement – Sole advocate for the petitioner
  • N v C FCMC 43/2021: Ancillary relief – Third-party intervening procedures – Sole advocate for the respondent
  • L v T FCMC 129/2019: Welfare of a child born out of wedlock – Sole advocate for the respondent
  • L v C & Ors FCMC 5814/2019: Ancillary relief – Third-party intervening procedures – Sole advocate for the petitioner