They say late decision will damage the reputation of Hong Kong's legal system
The government was condemned on all fronts yesterday for its handling of the WTO protesters' case, after charges against 11 of the 14 activists were dropped.
Pro-democracy lawmakers said the charges should have been dropped much sooner, while a leading government ally said failure to prosecute all the defendants would cast doubt on the legal system and the rule of law.
Barrister-legislator Ronny Tong Ka-wah said while it was right to prosecute the remaining three Koreans because there was sufficient evidence, the government should have released the others days ago.
'That should have been done ... when those arrested were brought to the courts for mention for the first time,' Mr Tong said, adding that people might now get the impression the government was bowing to foreign political pressure.
Unionist Lee Cheuk-yan also said the decision had come too late.
Democratic Party vice-chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan, a lawyer, said: 'They were not even arrested on the spot but hours after the scuffle. Anyone who can reason should know there was no chance of getting evidence.'