Serial Hong Kong litigant who failed to declare new bank account and HK$60,000 in cash challenges decision to revoke legal aid
- Kwok Cheuk-kin is known as the ‘king of judicial reviews’ and wants to support to back his challenge against city’s small-house policy
- Judge questions claim that Kwok was ignorant of process, as former civil servant launches bid to reverse decision
A former Hong Kong civil servant given legal aid to launch a judicial review challenging the city’s controversial small-house policy argued in court on Monday that officials erred in revoking his financial assistance.
High Court heard Kwok Cheuk-kin, widely known as the “king of judicial reviews” for challenging the government, lost his financial support in August after the Legal Aid Department discovered he failed to declare a new bank account, and HK$60,000 in cash he kept at his Cheung Chau residence.
The revocation led to Kwok applying for a separate judicial review earlier this month, when the High Court Registrar dismissed his appeal against the decision by the department’s director.
Hectar Pun Hei SC, who took on Kwok’s latest case pro bono with two junior counsels, argued during an expedited hearing on Monday that the registrar made an error in finding his client had wilfully failed to disclose his financial resources.
But Paul Lam Ting-kwok SC, representing the director, slammed the present review as an attempt by Kwok “to have the third bite of the cherry”, given the registrar had considered the application afresh and concluded Kwok did not fully disclose his assets as required.
