Appeal ruling in 612 Fund case due Thursday
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal will hand down its decision on Thursday, September 3, in the appeal brought by five former trustees of the now-disbanded 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. The five are contesting their convictions for failing to apply, within the specified time, for registration or exemption from registration under section 5(1) of the Societies Ordinance, Cap. 151.
Key Points
- The appellants are Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun (陳日君), former lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee (吳靄儀), Cyd Ho Sau-lan (何秀蘭), singer Denise Ho Wan-see (何韻詩) and former Lingnan University associate professor Hui Po-keung (許寶強).
- The summons alleged that the five trustees and fund secretary Sze Shing-wai (施城威) acted as office-bearers of a local society in Hong Kong from July 16, 2019 to October 31, 2021.
- In 2022, all six were convicted; Sze was fined HK$2,500, while the other five were each fined HK$4,000, and only the five trustees pursued appeals
- Judiciary information shows the Court of Appeal is expected to announce the ruling at noon on Thursday, with the hearing listed for about 15 minutes.
- At the appeal hearing last December, the defence argued the fund was an unsuccessfully established trust and not a society, while prosecutors said its structure and operations met the legal definition
Why It Matters
The ruling will clarify how the Societies Ordinance applies to the 612 Fund and to the legal arguments raised by the five trustees over the meaning of a “society” and its office-bearers. The case has drawn particular attention because it was described as the first trial under the Societies Ordinance for failing to register as required