Professor wins extended restraining order

A Chinese University professor has won an extension of a court order barring a restaurant owner from going near her or her daughter.

Owner Lo Kwok-wai appeared in court yesterday without a lawyer representing him and indicated he would contest the order.

The continuation was sought by Ann Louise Huss, 42, an assistant professor with the university's centre for East Asian Studies, and was granted by Madam Justice Carlye Chu Fun-ling in the Court of First Instance.

Her lawyers sought the injunction in December, barring Lo from causing any nuisance or disturbance to her or her daughter, who is a student at an international school.

Huss wanted Lo restrained from going near her residence, workplace at the university and daughter's school.

She asked for a 50-meter minimum limit in all three places.

Huss is also seeking damages from Lo for distress.

On December 16, Mr Justice John Saunders granted the interim injunction restraining Lo, which includes prohibition of telephone contact. He had ordered the injunction should run until yesterday.

The professor's lawyers sought a continuation of the order, pending the start of trial.

As Lo objected to the continuation of the injunction and indicated he would hire a lawyer to contest the application from Huss, Chu adjourned the case to March 26 to hear argument from his lawyer. The injunction was extended to that day.

Lo, 30, an owner of a Japanese restaurant, had also been charged for assaulting Dr Nick Chu Tai-shing on the university campus on December 4. His case was adjourned to March 9 in Sha Tin Court.