Keep appealing and you could be in jail longer, Hong Kong judge tells Erwiana’s convicted ex-boss

Court cites need to protect ‘vulnerable domestic helpers’ in rejecting bid by former employer of abused Indonesian national

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Law Wan-tung, pictured in 2014, was convicted last year of assaulting, intimidating and failing to pay Erwiana Sulistyaningsih. Photo: AP

Published: 2:30pm, 15 Jul 2016Updated: 11:20pm, 15 Jul 2016

An appeals court judge has warned that an abusive employer jailed for assaulting Indonesian former domestic worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih could face even longer time in jail if the former boss continued to pursue her appeal.

In rejecting a bid by Law Wan-tung to clear her own name, the Court of Appeal questioned whether any attempt by Law to continue her legal challenge would do her any good.

Law, who hired Erwiana from March 2013 to January 2014, went before the Court of Appeal last week to ask for permission to advance her appeal against her convictions and sentence of six years imprisonment on the grounds that a lower court failed to note discrepancies in Erwiana’s evidence.

In a 46-page ruling handed down on Friday, Mr Justice Michael Lunn, the court’s vice-president, said he found none of the grounds of appeal against conviction to be reasonably arguable.

He added it was not reasonably arguable that the lower court handling the case had taken into account Law’s uncharged acts in determining her sentence.

Clearly, a deterrent sentence is required

Mr Justice Michael Lunn