Pro-LGBT banks offering support to expat lesbian couple would not offer any new argument, Hong Kong court rules

The woman is battling government in court for recognition of her same-sex relationship registered in Britain after Immigration Department refused to grant dependent visa

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The court found that the financial institutions would most likely repeat the same arguments and dismissed the proposed application. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 12:42pm, 8 Jun 2017Updated: 10:59pm, 8 Jun 2017

A strong show of solidarity from 12 leading international financial institutions in support of an expatriate lesbian spouse was rejected by a Hong Kong court on Thursday on the grounds they would be unlikely to offer new arguments.

The woman, identified as QT, is battling the government in court for recognition of her same-sex relationship registered in Britain, following a failed application for a judicial review over the Immigration Department’s refusal to grant her a dependent visa to Hong Kong.

The 12 institutions filed an application with the Court of Appeal last month offering to provide their perspective on how the existing policy could adversely affect Hong Kong as an international financial centre by limiting the pool of quality foreign employees willing to relocate.

But the court found that their input would most likely repeat the points QT may wish to make anyway and dismissed the proposed intervention.

The banks filed an application with the Court of Appeal offering to provide their perspective. Photo: Sam Tsang

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