HONG KONG is in danger of becoming the laughing stock of the world because of the Obscene Articles Tribunal's decision to classify a picture of Michelangelo's David as indecent, a judge was told yesterday.
The tribunal was also accused of acting unconstitutionally by keeping the identity of its decision-makers secret. This enabled them to hide behind a cloak of secrecy while making bizarre and unreasonable decisions, it was alleged.
Barrister Gerard McCoy made the attack in an appeal against three of the tribunal's rulings in the High Court.
He said David, completed by Michelangelo in 1504, was probably the most famous statue of all time.
But the tribunal has ruled the work of art, which depicts a naked King David, is indecent and not fit to be published in a newspaper.
Hong Kong would have left itself out of touch with reality if the decision was not ruled to be wrong in law, Mr McCoy said.