Four Hong Kong lawmakers in oath row urge court to reject bid to unseat them, claiming they have been unfairly targeted
Lawyers call for case to be dismissed, claiming abuse of process, as seven other legislators also added messages when being sworn in but were not challenged
Four pro-democracy lawmakers threatened with disqualification for improper oath-taking urged the High Court on Friday to dismiss the case, claiming an abuse of process arising from selective prosecution.
The unexpected twist came just as the three-day hearing was about to close when lawyers for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung failed to explain why they had broadened their case.
Philip Dykes SC, defending former Occupy student leader Nathan Law Kwun-chung, noted that the four were accused of refusing to take their oaths in part because they had added to the prescribed wording, while seven other lawmakers had similarly added words on that same day, October 12, but had not been challenged by the government.
He questioned if there was an abuse of process through selective prosecution, motivated by political reasons.
Johnny Mok Shiu-luen SC, for Leung and Yuen, replied that he was not asked to advise on the other cases. But he added: “These four cases are the clearest ones.”