Apple Daily and Next Magazine yesterday lost their bid to overturn a ruling that articles they published about a child molester last year were indecent.
The Obscene Articles Tribunal's ruling means the two publications will face a criminal charge. Both cases will be heard in Eastern Court on March 15.
Magistrate Au See-hin delivered a unanimous decision upholding the tribunal's ruling on January 21 last year, adding that the paper's report on the crimes of paedophile Derek Chan Pak-nin, 32, had deviated from pure news reporting. Chan was sentenced to three years.
In a written verdict, Mr Au said the reports had a 'dominant effect of depicting violence, depravity and repulsiveness'.
'The tribunal fully respects the press freedom, but news reporting also has to abide by the social standards of morality,' Mr Au said.
On January 9 last year, Apple Daily published a front-page story with pictures, describing in detail how a tutor, later revealed to be Chan, molested three children aged between six and 10.