Mong Kok unlawful assembly case returns after appeal
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A District Court case over an alleged unlawful assembly in Mong Kok on November 10, 2019 returned to court on September 8 after the prosecution successfully overturned an earlier acquittal. The defendant, who had been cleared after trial in 2021, indicated he intends to plead guilty when the case resumes on October 28, and bail was continued in the meantime.
Key Points
- The defendant, Wang Yeuk-si (王若詩), was described as unemployed and was 46 when charged in the case now listed as DCCC 259/2020
- He faces two charges over events near the junction of Nathan Road and Shantung Street in Mong Kok on November 10, 2019
- The charges allege taking part in an unlawful assembly and using a facial covering during that assembly, namely a mask
- After he was acquitted following trial in 2021, the Department of Justice appealed and the Court of Appeal allowed that appeal in April this year.
- The appellate court set aside the acquittal and sent the case back to the original District Court judge, Yip Chor-man, for handling
Why It Matters
The next hearing is now expected to shift the case from a dispute over liability to a formal plea and any later sentencing process. For Hong Kong readers, the case also shows how an acquittal in a protest-era prosecution can be revisited after a successful appeal by the Department of Justice.