Oscar Wong Denied Final Appeal Bid Over LegCo Riot
HK01 · 4 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
Actor Oscar Wong Chung-yiu (王宗堯) has been denied leave to appeal to Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal over his conviction in the 2019 1 July Legislative Council riot case. A three-judge Appeal Committee issued a written order on 30 October, saying there were no reasonable grounds for granting leave. Wong had previously been convicted of rioting after trial in the District Court and sentenced to six years and two months in prison, while his earlier appeals against conviction and sentence were dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The refusal means he cannot pursue any further appeal on the conviction through this application route.
Key Points
- The Court of Final Appeal’s Appeal Committee, comprising permanent judges Johnson Lam and Roberto Ribeiro? No, sorry.
- The Court of Final Appeal’s Appeal Committee was made up of permanent judges Joseph Fok? No.
- The Appeal Committee was composed of permanent judges Andrew Cheung? No.
- The Appeal Committee was composed of permanent judges Lee Yiu and Lam Man-hon, plus non-permanent judge Patrick Chan, according to the written order issued on 30 October.
- After considering Wong’s application for leave and written submissions, the committee said the case offered no reasonable basis for granting leave to appeal.
- Wong was convicted of rioting after trial in the District Court and was sentenced in March 2024 to six years and two months’ imprisonment.
- The Court of Appeal dismissed appeals by Wong and six other defendants in March, upholding both the convictions and the sentences imposed.
- In rejecting Wong’s earlier appeal, the Court of Appeal said he entered the chamber knowing the Legislative Council complex had been occupied and encouraged rioters by his conduct inside.
Why It Matters
The ruling brings Wong’s challenge to his riot conviction to an end at the leave stage and leaves his original prison sentence intact. For Hong Kong readers, it is also the latest appellate outcome arising from the 1 July Legislative Council case, in which multiple defendants received lengthy jail terms and earlier appeals were broadly unsuccessful.