Hong Kong builder linked to 5 workplace deaths wins appeal over licence renewal
High Court orders Buildings Department to review rejection of Aggressive Construction’s application to renew licence as ‘not even brief reasons were given’
A Hong Kong court has ordered the buildings authorities to reconsider the licence renewal application of a construction company linked to five workplace deaths across three accidents, ruling that officials failed to provide adequate reasons for their refusal.
The High Court’s Madam Justice Yvonne Cheng Wai-sum ruled in favour of Aggressive Construction on Wednesday, although she emphasised the court was not responsible for determining whether the rejection was justified or if the company remained suitable for registration as those matters fell under the Buildings Department’s authority.
The department said it would “actively consider” an appeal after studying the ruling with the Department of Justice.
The Buildings Department last year refused to renew the licence of Aggressive Construction, which had been involved in a series of fatal industrial accidents between 2020 and 2023.
One of the most serious accidents occurred in September 2022 at an Anderson Road construction site in Kwun Tong, where a 65-tonne tower crane collapsed, killing three workers and injuring six others.
The firm appealed against Ho Chun-hung, the director of buildings, and the contractors registration committee after authorities declined to renew its operating licence – which had expired in April 2023 – and removed the company from the government’s list of registered contractors over safety concerns.