A RACING fan struck a blow for the Bill of Rights yesterday when he won a court battle against newspaper censorship - from his prison cell.
Chim Shing-chung, serving eight years in Stanley Prison for drug trafficking, challenged the Correctional Services Department's (CSD) removal of racing supplements from prisoners' newspapers.
Mr Justice Sears underlined the importance of the Bill of Rights as he ruled that censoring newspapers in prisons was unlawful.
'It is an important matter for those in authority to recognise they must accord to the law and the Bill of Rights, at the moment, is the law in Hong Kong,' he told the High Court.
'People's rights, even if they are prisoners, must not be infringed.' Mr Justice Sears also criticised the Commissioner of Correctional Services for inhibiting Chim's access to the courts.
The case was initially hindered by the Commissioner's refusal to reveal the reasons for the censorship, a move described by the judge as arrogant and unwarranted.
