a. If the court date specified on my bail sheet falls during a time when I am not in Hong Kong, can I request a change of date? If so, what is the process for making such a request?
Generally speaking, when you are formally charged by the police, the police will immediately inform you of the date for your first court appearance (i.e. the first mention) and give you a new bail sheet. The bail granted to you by the police is also valid until that first court appearance date. In other words, you are expected to attend the first mention hearing in person on that day.
For each subsequent hearing following the first mention, you should ensure that you are able to attend in person before the court fixes the hearing next date.