Government Loses Appeal Over Lam Cheuk-ting Acquittal
Court of Appeal upholds decision to acquit former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting of perverting the course of justice related to 2019 protests.
Court of Appeal upholds decision to acquit former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting of perverting the course of justice related to 2019 protests.
· Updated
Hong Kong's Department of Justice has failed in its appeal against the acquittal of former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting. The Court of Appeal on Friday upheld a lower court's decision to find Lam and two co-defendants not guilty of charges stemming from a confrontation in July 2019.
Lam was accused of pressuring a man, identified in court as X, to delete images from his phone. Protesters had suspected X of taking close-up photos of demonstrators during a protest outside the police headquarters in Wan Chai.
In January 2023, a District Court judge had acquitted the defendants of most charges, stating Lam was acting as a peacemaker to de-escalate a tense situation. The judges on Friday agreed, noting that while deleting pictures could obstruct investigations, there was no confirmation the pictures actually existed.
Lam, a former member of the now-defunct Democratic Party, is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted in the Hong Kong 47 national security case in May 2024.
FAQ
What was Lam Cheuk-ting accused of?
Lam Cheuk-ting was accused of perverting the course of justice for allegedly pressuring a man to delete photos from his phone.
What was the outcome of the appeal?
The Court of Appeal upheld the lower court's acquittal of Lam Cheuk-ting and his co-defendants.
