Three Weekly yesterday launched a High Court bid to overturn a ruling that it published an obscene article with a photograph of a semi-nude actress who had been abducted.
The publication of the photograph of the distressed actress was widely condemned after Three Weekly and Eastweek magazines carried the article on November 1, 2002, and October 30, 2002, respectively. The Obscene Articles Tribunal ruled on March 8 last year that its earlier finding against Three Weekly that the publication was obscene should be upheld.
The day after the ruling, police arrested editors and other staff at the magazine. In the wake of the controversy, Eastweek owner Albert Yeung Sau-shing closed down his publication.
The picture was widely believed to be of Carina Lau Ka-ling and was allegedly taken when she was abducted by gangsters 12 years ago.
Yesterday, counsel representing Three Weekly Ltd, Gerard McCoy SC, told the Court of First Instance the tribunal had overstepped its jurisdiction when it issued its formal notice. He said the licensing authority asked the tribunal to examine the front cover and the related article and said no directions were given to look into the index page which was included in the ruling.
The appeal continues today.
