Activist Joshua Wong, 19, fails in bid to lower minimum age to stand in Legco polls from 21

Student activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has failed in his legal bid to lower the minimum age for contenders in the Hong Kong legislative polls.

The legal age to enter the Legislative Council elections in the city is 21, and Wong, 19, had asked the High Court last month to grant permission for the matter to be argued in court.

The court ruled on Wednesday that the matter was a political one, and that being able to vote and being able to stand for election were of different nature.

Even if permission had been granted, it was unlikely that Wong, the former convener of student activist group Scholarism and co-founder of political party Demosisto, would have been in time to run in the coming Legco elections in September.

Outside court, Wong said: “I hope in the new Legislative Council in September, there will be elected Legislative Council members that can represent the young generation and lower the minimum age.”