Hong Kong police officers can operate at Legco without prior approval or invitation, court rules
Pro-democracy activist Leung Hiu-yeung had argued that police should only be legally regarded as Legco officers under a written invitation or request signed by the Legco’s president
Hong Kong’s top court has ruled that police officers can be on duty at the Legislative Council building without the legislature’s prior invitation or approval.
The ruling, handed down by the Court of Final Appeal on Thursday, was in contrast to the understanding of opposition pan-democrat lawmakers.
In the appeal hearing on January 10, Leung’s counsel Philip Dykes argued that his client’s conviction only concerned his confrontation with a police inspector, not the Legco’s security officers.
Dykes argued that police officers can only be legally regarded as Legco officers under a written invitation or request signed by the Legco’s president, who was Jasper Tsang Yok-sing at that time. Yet, Tsang only asked the police force for help in his capacity as chairman of the Legco Commission. he said.
According to the judgment handed down on Thursday, the court “held that a prior invitation by the president of Legco is not needed for a police officer to be on duty within the precincts of the Legco [building] and to qualify as an officer of the council.”