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Legislative Council oath-taking saga
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Lawmakers Claudia Mo Man-ching (left), Edward Yiu Chung-yim, Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Lau Siu-lai, Leung Kwok-hung and James To Kun-sun protest against Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying earlier this month. Photo: Nora Tam

Hong Kong government given green light for judicial reviews over lawmakers’ oaths

Four lawmakers now prepare for court battle after legal challenge is approved

The High Court has granted a government application for judicial reviews against four pro-democracy ­lawmakers for their suspected improper oath-taking – a move that seeks to disqualify them from the ­Legislative Council.

A court letter received yesterday by Ivan Mok Ka-kit, a student who filed a related lawsuit against one of the lawmakers, said leave had been granted for the reviews, and a procedural hearing for all parties would be held a week today.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung filed the lawsuit 10 minutes before court closed on Friday.

In the writs, the government ­accused the four of setting aside solemnity in exchange for a political showdown by slipping pro-democracy messages into their oaths.

The four are veteran activist “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, former Occupy Central student leader Nathan Law Kwun-chung, lecturer Lau Siu-lai and university professor ­Edward Yiu Chung-yim.

Last month, a semi-official Beijing think tank claimed that up to 15 lawmakers had recited improper oaths.

None of the four advocate Hong Kong independence, but Law and Lau have called for self-determination for the city’s political future.

“We are not surprised the court granted leave,” Leung Kwok-hung said. “CY Leung is using unlimited public money to launch his political attack.”

The four said they needed time to find lawyers and financial resources to fight their legal battle, and called on supporters to join a rally on Saturday to protest against the legal challenge.

They said the rally would be the first of a series of actions, but would not reveal their other plans.

Leung Kwok-hung also urged the 246,000 voters of the Election Committee to cast their votes on Sunday “to kick out CY Leung”. A ballot will see voters elect representatives to the 1,200-member committee that will select Hong Kong’s next Chief Executive in March next year.

The government’s lawsuits ­followed the successful disqualification of pro-independence lawmakers Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching over their oaths.

Their appeal was dismissed after the Court of Appeal held that Beijing’s interpretation of the Basic Law, which details stringent oath-taking requirements, applied to the case.

Mok, who submitted his own separate legal bid to remove Lau Siu-lai for her oath-taking, has been asked to address the court on whether he has standing to apply for a judicial review.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Judicial reviews against four given the green light
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