Doctor’s vaccine pass case delayed for new counsel
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A District Court decision that had been scheduled for Wednesday in the case against Yuen Long doctor Choi Suk-mui (蔡淑梅) was postponed after she asked for more time to replace her lawyers and seek to reopen the case. Acting District Judge Lo Kit-yee adjourned the matter to December 3, giving Choi three weeks to find new legal representation.
Key Points
- Choi, 66, said she dismissed her legal team last week after concluding they had failed during trial to place before the court evidence she considered helpful to the defence.
- She asked for a two-month adjournment to retain a new team and apply to reopen the case, but the judge said she had long been dissatisfied and had delayed too much.
- The judge noted seven months had passed since closing submissions and said the court could not postpone the proceedings indefinitely, ultimately granting only a three-week adjournment to December 3.
- Choi faces one count of dishonestly obtaining access to a government computer with intent to deceive over 12,768 medical exemption certificates issued between January 30 and September 3, 2022.
- She also faces 16 alternative computer-access charges tied to exemption certificates issued to 15 or 16 people between June 4 and September 3, 2022, plus money-laundering charges involving HK$570,300 and about HK$7.57 million with her husband Pak Wai-hung (白偉雄).
Why It Matters
The adjournment means the long-running prosecution over pandemic-era vaccine exemption certificates will not reach a ruling until at least early December, extending uncertainty for both defendants and the court process. The next hearing will also determine whether Choi can secure new counsel or must continue on a self-represented basis.